The Immortal's Key
by StarOfGalaxies
Summary: So after finding out she's the daughter of the fallen immortal Kalona and a maiden named Darika, Raven's life hasn't been the same by any means. Joining with Zoey and her team she stands with them as they battle Neferet and other threats to their world.
1. Prologue

So here it is, the sequel to the Immortal's Daughter. I'm not sure how much I'm going to do much past Destined since the next book-is-not-published-yet. Sigh. So, we'll just have to see won't we?

Enjoy!

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

_Damascus looked down at the chaos unfolding below. The immortal Kalona ripped himself out of the ground as well as his sons._

_ "So, Kalona is free." Damascus said._

_ A winged immortal stepped to be at his side. His violet eyes flashed._

_ "Do you want me infiltrate his base?" The immortal asked._

_ "No need at least right now." Damascus said. "But he will pay for insulting me." The air trembled with his rage. His heir looked quietly on._

_ "Where is that damn sprite?" Damascus spat._

_ A shadow moved along the ground before it gathered up and then stood up. It looked like a human shadow._

_ "You called?" It asked in a raspy voice._

_ "What is going on?" He asked._

_ "The immortal Kalona has been freed by a Tsi Sgili."_

_ "Yes I know that." Damascus snapped. "What is his next move?"_

_ "Some fledglings escaped." The sprite flinched. "I'm sure he will go after them soon."_

_ Damascus glared out at the immortal._

_ "I saw something rather interesting though." The sprite said._

_ Damascus turned back to the sprite. "Well don't keep me in suspense, what did you see?"_

_ "A girl."_

_ "What girl?" Damascus asked._

_ "She has her father's eyes as well as his aura." The sprite said._

_ "Kalona has daughter?" The other immortal asked._

_ "Once, but she was killed the night she was born." Damascus said bored._

_ "No, the girl. She was there." The sprite said. "Same eyes as the father. Some aura."_

_ Damascus looked at the sprite. It knew better than to tell him lies. "So the only daughter of Kalona has returned to the realms of living?"_

_ The sprite nodded._

_ "Interesting." A grin spread across his face._

_ "Do you want me to take the girl so you may have your revenge on Kalona?" The sprite asked._

_ Damascus sighed. "No, not yet. Our quest for the key is the highest priority right now." He turned to his heir. "I want you to go to the Eastern continents. Search and see if you can find any traces of the immortal outposts."_

_ His heir nodded and spread his midnight black wings._

_ He watched the heir vanish into the endless night sky._

_ "Keep an eye on Kalona and his precious little girl." Damascus ordered sprite._

_ "As you wish." It hissed before vanishing back into the shadows._

_ Damascus closed his eyes. The key. He had to find the key before he destroyed Kalona._

_ Of course once he found the key then there was nothing that could stop him from accomplishing his wants._

**XOXOXOXOXOX**

Dun Dun DUN!

Keep in tune. The next chapter of the Immortal's Key is coming soon!


	2. Chapter One

"You guys want me to call up light and darkness and double make sure there's no yucky darkness still hanging around?" I asked.

Everyone paused right in front of the ladder. They looked at one another and then back at me. Johnny B paused lighting the lamps and looked down the tunnel, which was pitch black and not very inviting looking.

"Do you mind Ray?" Zoey asked.

"If I minded then why did I mention it?" I asked giving her a grin.

Dominic clamped a hand on my shoulder. "You've used up a lot of energy tonight." His dark blue eyes sparkled with concern. "Maybe you should tone it down a bit."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm just going to have it do a sweep of the tunnels. That yucky darkness usually vanishes on sight when my darkness and light show up."

Rephaim looked at me. "You really shouldn't push yourself Raven."

"I'll just sleep like a rock tonight. It's not like I got school tomorrow." I said.

"You still have to go to school." Stevie Rae said sounding like my mom.

"Where? As much as I would love to see those damn skinny ass blonde bitches have a freaking heart ache because I show up, I really don't want some poor police guy shooting me cuz I look like the angel of death." I said.

Snap twined around my ankles. _"You need to learn to control your powers. The House of Night is our best option outside of your father."_

"Neither of those options sound appealing." I muttered.

"Would you stop arguing with your cat?" Aphrodite said. "It's so annoying watching you carry on a conversation with her when we only get part of it."

"Not my problem." I said with shrug. I clapped my hands together. Dark and light tendrils curled out from my body like the corona of the sun. It sorta of weirded me out that I didn't have to vocalize summoning them like the others. It was almost like these elements were a part of me.

"Just make sure none of that yucky darkness is sticking around please." I said. I held my palms flat out. My aura pulsated from my body and pressed against the walls of the tunnels before shooting downwards.

Someone male whistled.

My mouth cracked open in a yawn. "Where am I rooming?"

Stevie Rae suddenly grinned. "We almost forgot about your birthday gift."

I blinked. I remembered for my birthday the nerd herd had given me a key. I guess now I was going to find out what that key unlocked.

Stevie Rae clamped her hands over my eyes.

"What are you-?"

"You don't think they messed up her…um the gift do you?" The girl I think was called Sophie asked.

"The door was locked and it is above ground." Shaunee said.

"I'm going to be pissed if they screwed it up. We worked so damn hard on it!" Erin said.

"Where's your key?"

"In the small pocket in the suitcase." I said. I kept blinking even though her hands tampered my vision.

I heard the zipper opening. Someone took my hands and began guiding me through the tunnels.

"Can't you let me see?" I asked.

"It's a surprise." Stevie Rae said.

"Well my birthday is over so I doesn't have to be a surprise anymore." I said as they blindingly guided me to wherever my gift was.

A door opened and we began up some stairs. The stairs felt earthen and smelled like dirt.

"Okay." Stevie Rae took her off with flourish. "Happy Birthday."

It was a bedroom. It must have been an office or something like that at one point. Stevie Rae had used her Earth element to create a stairway up from the tunnels. The walls were painted a silver-ish white. Dusty purple hades hung from black rods. The bed was made from the same black metal and had silver-ish white sheets and the same purple colored comforter. My chest from home was at the foot of my bed. Looking around I saw my dresser and mini bookshelf. But the wardrobe was new.

"Oh wow." I said.

"We figured that you would want a room not underground when you changed back." Stevie Rae said with a grin.

"I love it." I said with tears stinging in my eyes. I laughed and went around and hugged everyone. "Thank you." It was just so damn sweet and made me really feel like part of the family.

"We've got Snap a litterbox set up in one of the less…um nice spaces." Stevie Rae said. Snap glanced up at her before continuing to sniff my room.

"It's really wonderful. Thank you all so much." I repeated for the gazillionth time.

"Yeah, well, don't make us regret being nice to you." Aphrodite said with a wave of her hand.

After that cheery comment we dispersed to clean up the mess those red fledglings and unpacked, mostly I unpacked because I had stuff, and we also had some snackage.

I collapsed down onto to my stomach on my bed. I was pooped with a capital P. I buried my face into a pillow. The bed bounced and I turned my head.

Dominic stretched out on his back and tucked his hands behind his head.

"You aren't a pillow hog or blanket hog, are you?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Kay." I sighed.

"You looked tired." He said.

"I am tired." I muttered. "Remember, I over exhausted my powers."

"So you finally admit it." He grinned.

"Now I can sleep." I murmured.

He tugged one of the chains in my hair.

I moaned. "I don't wanna change."

"Fine by me."

I punched his arm. "Pervert."

I sat up anyway and began tugging the chains and flowers out of my hair. Dominic clasped my wrist with warm fingers. I froze as electric pulses shot through my body.

Dominic gently took my face into his hands before he kissed me.

I swear everything inside me was _ZING-_ing trying to burst from my skin. I'm pretty sure if he didn't have my face clasped in his hands I _would _burst into a million fragments.

He pulled back. "Sorry. I've been waiting to do that for a while now."

"It's okay." I said kind of breathless. My lips were tingling and my cheeks.

He touched my cheek. "I think I'm falling in love with you Ray."

I blushed. I chewed my lip. "I think I'm falling in love with you."

He smiled broadly like a little boy. I grinned back and leaned over to kiss him again. He pulled me into his lap and I curled my wings around him wrapping us in a cocoon.

I stopped sucking his face and pressed my face into the curve of his neck and sighed.

"I hope this doesn't insult or offend you, but I'm not asking your father permission to court you." He said into my hair.

I chuckled. "I won't let you because I'm sure he's not going to be too happy some male is sucking his baby girl's face."

He rubbed my back with his big warm hands.

I climbed out of his lap and climbed into the wardrobe.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm looking for Narnia." I said tugging off my dress and pulling on a stretched out cami and plaid boxer shorts. I walked out and began pulling back the comforter.

"You could have just had me turn around." He said.

"You're a boy remember." I said climbing into bed. "And a pervert."

He shook his head. "Why did I admit I'm in love with you?" He mumbled. He tugged off his shirt and shucked off his shoes before sliding under my covers.

I slid up next to him and put my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me and rubbed his knuckles down my spine. I snuggled up against him.

He reached out and stroked my wings. I flinched.

"Sorry." He started to pull away.

"You're fine." I said. "It just tickled."

I closed my eyes. I started humming some tune whose origins I could not determine. I sunk into the soft blanket of sleep trying to figure out where I've heard that tune.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

I shivered. I was suddenly cold. I opened my eyes and Dominic was gone. I sat up and looked around. He wasn't far. He was pacing at the foot of my bed.

"Dominic?" I asked. I crawled to the end of the bed. "Dominic, what's wrong?"

I reached out to grab his shirt, but my hand passed through him. I glanced at my hand and then looked back.

This was the weirdest thing I've ever seen. Here my conscious was sitting at the end of my bed and right in front of me was my body, still peacefully sleeping.

I'm going to need therapy.

I turned away from myself and looked back at Dominic. He had stopped pacing and rubbed his hand down his face. He had a torn expression on his face.

"Dominic." Why couldn't I throw something around or do some ghost thing to get him to listen to me? "Dominic, please, tell me what's wrong."

"I'm coming." He said to the air. I blinked. What? What was wrong? Who was he talking to?

He turned and looked at me, or guess technically my body, with a defeated look on his face. He walked slowly to the bedside and bent down to kiss my forehead.

"I'm sorry Ray."

Okay, how do I fucking get back into my body? I need to know what the hell was going on!

He pushed off the bed and swiftly left my room.

I jumped on myself.

"Come on." I grabbed my body's shoulders and tried to shake them. "Get up! Reabsorb me! Do something! Wake up!"

My eyes suddenly burst open. I bolted straight up out of bed. The moonstone burned hotly on my chest.

"Dominic?" I called out. No answer.

I shoved the blankets off of me and rushed to one of the windows. I looked down and saw Dominic making his way away from the depot.

"Light." I called out. "Please follow Dominic."

A golden ball of light swirled away from me leaving a string of light like it was a ball of yarn. I yanked on some jeans and tank top. I yanked open the windows and took off.

I expected him to still be nearby, but he must have used that ridiculously crazy fast Sons of Erebus running thing because I ended up following the light string to the Philbrook Museum.

The ball of light stood in the middle of the rose garden, but no Dominic. I circled around, but I didn't see him or any guards or visitors.

Something came out of nowhere and slammed against me. I spun around in air disoriented for a minute, but by the time I righted myself it slammed into me again.

A claw wrapped around my throat and the other around my wing base. They yanked hard and steered me spiraling into the ground.

I smacked into it with a sickening thud. It didn't feel like anything was broken, but I wasn't too sure. I pushed myself up slowly making sure nothing was broken when something snarled at me.

My heart stopped.

It wasn't natural. People may call my brothers and me abominations, but that's because they haven't seen this thing.

It looked like it had been some sort of predator, more canine than feline, at one point, but its maroon-ish looking skin had shrunken to its bones. Webbing covered its long talons and really long and incredibly sharp looking fangs jutted out of its mouth. It had a long whip looking tail and instead of ears it had two antennae like things jutting out from the back of its skull to about its back. Spikes stuck out past its elbows on its front legs and once I noticed the webbing in between the spikes did I realize that those were its wings.

It opened its mouth and shrieked at me.

I bolted straight up and took off. All knowledge that I had ass kicking powers fled my mind. My body went straight to flight mode without actually trying to fly away from this thing.

It skidded in front of me. I almost fell onto my hinney trying to stop. It stood on its back legs and brought its front paw down and smacked my chest.

I was thrown back and landed, again, with a sickening thud on the ground.

"Ow."

I looked up to see towering over me, claw ready to come down on me, and giving out a triumphant shriek.

Dominic suddenly burst out of nowhere and began shouting at it in a language I've never heard. The hell hound growled, but went back onto four paws giving me a glare with its white pupiless eyes.

Dominic came over to me and picked me up gently. "Are you all right?"

"No." I had a fucking hell hound attack me! How can I be okay after that?

But those words died in my throat when I saw who else was with us.

He looked normal enough, save for the golden brown angel wings sticking out of his back. He had sun kissed skin and hair and bright blue eyes. He honestly looked like a sun god. It was his aura that disturbed me. He radiated evil and unlike Neferet he didn't care that people could feel his evil. He didn't put on a mask of good to get what he needed because he obviously didn't need to. He could get whatever he wanted without pretending.

He grinned at me and I'm a hundred percent sure that if Dominic didn't have a hold of me that I would be running off in the other direction screaming my little lungs out.

"I suppose this sweet little girl is the reason you left the Isle of Skye without my consent?" He asked in a slick voice.

I swear that voice should never exist. It could scare the paint of walls it was so damn ass creepy.

He took my chin in his hand and my skin crawled. "You must be Kalona's little girl."

My back prickled. I didn't care if I had to dismember Dominic, I had to get away from this guy, one way or another.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm so sorry little one. I suppose your father is trying to keep his precious little girl from safe and pure." He grinned.

"I'm not his daughter." I said.

He chuckled. "No matter how many times he says it, it won't ever be true. He cares for you children, more than you can possibly realize."

"Mind explaining how you know my father?" I asked.

"I offered your father paradise and he refused." The immortal's eyes darkened and I felt chilled to the bone. "I am Damascus."

Shit. Must run away. Must run away.

"You've met my heir, Dominic." He said.

I looked at Dominic confuzzled. He just looked at me sadly.

"Didn't he tell you?" He asked with a jackass smile in his voice.

I could feel a crack forming in my heart.

"Ray." He said softly.

"There's no reason for you to keep up this persona Dominic." Damascus said harshly. "I'm sick of looking at you in this form."

I felt Dominic's body ripple. I really didn't want to look, but for some reason (I really think I have a deep inner desire to make myself suffer) I did look.

His tattoo had disappeared and midnight black wings sprouted from his back. My stomach clenched when I realized that his dark blue eyes had sudden become a deep purple.

Shit. I felt stupid and used. The crack in my heart was getting bigger.

I swallowed. I was not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

"Well, what do you want with me?" I asked angrily at Damascus.

"I didn't really expect any half-breed, especially one produced by Kalona," I was starting to think he really didn't like Kalona. "to possess such power over the elements of light and darkness. It is rare even among pure bloods for a being to have such power." He gave me this crazy power hungry look. "Even your ability to communicate with beasts is impressive."

Great. My greatest fear realized. Some ass hole wants to use my powers for his gain.

"You must feel like a real big ass Immortal using a half-breed's power to accomplish something you obviously haven't." I said.

His face darkened. His hand lashed out and struck my cheek. My head snapped violently to the side. I felt the slap all the way down to my toes. I ran my tongue around my mouth to make sure none of my teeth got knocked loose.

"Your father may permit you to speak that way to him, but I will not tolerate it." He said.

My cheek burned, but did that stop me from making another smart ass comment? "What can't handle the truth? At least my father can handle that, no matter how bad it is." Um, that's a no.

He stuck me again on the same cheek. I really hoped he didn't break my cheek bone. Dominic squeezed my arms gently.

"You're more like your father than either of you will admit." He said in a low voice.

"So what do you want?" I asked. "I highly doubt this is a social visit."

"We're looking for something rather important." He said. "A key."

"Why would I be interested in a key?" I asked.

He glared at me. "Because the veil between the mortal and immortal realm is collapsing."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXO**

Muhahahahahaha. Cliff hanger! I think I'm really sadistic deep down.

I'm kind of curious, did anyone guessment something wrong with Dominic? Hm? Be honest.


	3. Chapter Two

**AN: **Okay, a word of warning: Word was acting like a complete spaz while I was doing edits and kept shutting down before I could save it. I'm pretty sure I fixed everything I wanted to fix and that there's at least no hanging sentences. But if I'm wrong, just shoot me a review or e-mail and I'll fix it.

Now that's out of the way, please read and if you read please review.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

"What?" I asked. That just sounded bad. What would happen if the veil completely collapsed? I mean I know Damascus was pure evil and probably lies his ass off every day, but there was something that made me believe him. Maybe because this is the type of thing that people don't lie about easily.

"Didn't your father ever educate you on your heritage?" He asked.

"Are you stupid or are you just asking for me to sass you?" I snapped.

Naturally he slapped me again. I blinked rapidly hoping to ease my dizziness.

"Even the human's history has some mention of our time spent here in the mortal realm." He said. "We came here hoping to better educate the mortals on their magic."

Sure. He seems like the teacher type. Not

"But mortals have always feared us. Eventually their fear grew so great they created a veil that prevented us from traveling between the realms." Damascus said.

"Then what's the key?" I asked.

"The energy that four humans and five vampyres used to create the veil." Damascus said. "Our legends say a crystal or some kind of stone was created afterwards. It allows the bearer to open gateways between the two realms and some legends say it can open a gateway to any realm."

"Why do you need the key if the veil is just collapsing on its own?" I asked.

"If the veil collapses it will cause massive chaos in our realm and this one as well." He said in an almost bored tone. "The key will have the power to repair the holes and rips in the veil. That is why you should help us find the key. If not, something could irreparably damage this world."

"Guilt tripping me won't work." I said. "I think that the key is the safest out of your hands." I tried to twist out of Dominic's hands, but he held me tightly.

"You don't seem to understand the seriousness of this situation." He said slowly. He stepped towards me. I tried to back up, but Dominic was a statue. Damascus was so close his chest brushed against my breasts, and I'm barely a B-cup. My body started trembling and I hoped Dominic was the only one who knew.

"Portals will randomly open and close. Humans and mortals beasts will find themselves in the Immortal realm and immortal beasts and monsters will find their way into this realm."

I felt chilled to the bone. My mind conjured up monsters with sharp teeth that were just ready to rip into some innocent human being's flesh or even swallow them whole.

"The only way to stop this is to find the key and use its powers to repair the veil."

"And you're just a concerned citizen wanting to keep his nosey neighbors safe."

He smacked me again. I should probably tone down the sass before I start losing teeth. I wondered he just favored his right hand and that's why he kept hitting my left cheek or if he was trying to break my cheekbones or knock out teeth.

"Your insolence is going to get you in trouble little one." He said with his blue eyes darkening. "We are alone and no one will hear you screaming."

I glared at him hoping my fear wasn't showing through. I had a feeling he would hurt me just to get to Kalona and me sassing him probably wasn't helping at all.

His eyes softened really fast. I wonder if he suffers from mood swings. He reached out and stroked the cheek he had been striking.

"But then I would have an unhappy heir." He glanced over my head and I could see an evil smirk. Good/seducing mood swing done. "You would be very upset if I harmed your little Raven wouldn't you?"

I had no idea what face Dominic put on. But his hands did curl tighter around my arms.

"Why should I help you find this key?" I asked. "You're just going to kill me or worse even if I do help you find it."

He looked at me and I suddenly wished I kept my mouth shut.

"When the sprite told me the only daughter of Kalona had returned to the living realms, naturally I wanted to find out more about you. But when I visited your home you were nowhere to be found."

A lump appeared in my throat.

"I went up to your room though and took things that had your scent so you could be tracked."

No. No. No. No. No. No.

"Unfortunately your parents woke-up and tried to stop me." He gave me an amused smile like it was laughable that two humans could stop him. He looked at me with a cruel expression in his eyes. "I suppose you say what happened."

"You killed my parents?" I asked in a small voice. I had expected Neferet, Kalona, or a Raven Mocker to be the murderer. I had mentally prepared myself for it to be one of them. Not this asshole.

Did Dominic know? Did he know that his master had killed my parents? I began feeling heartsick. I mean, I literally felt sick and I could hear my heart cracking even more.

Did Dominic help him carry out the deed?

Damascus nodded and then clamped a hand around my neck. "You better pass this warning: I _always _get what I want. I will not hesitate to destroy _anyone _who gets in my way or destroy everyone they love."

I looked straight into his eyes. He wasn't bluffing at all.

"Why me?" I asked. My voice was rough because I was still trying hard not to cry.

He smiled like he had been waiting for me to ask this question. "You are the mediator. You are in tune with both the immortal realm and the mortal realm in way no other non-divine being can be. Subconsciously you know where the key is."

I'm going to write a list of things I hate about my job. This is going to top it. Did the Fae know by marking me as the mediator that this would happen? They do realize I'm a child right? How could I stand up against this immortal?

He tucked my hair behind my ears in a fatherly gesture. "I understand this must be very overwhelming for you. I'll give you a month before I come for your decision."

A month? A month to decide if I should or should not give this asswipe the most powerful weapon ever with the lives of my friends and my family hanging in the balance? Anger churned in my stomach and threatened to boil over my blood.

"Come Dominic. We should pay this young half-breed's father a visit."

I hoped Kalona unleashed a can of whoop-ass on him.

Dominic said a word I didn't understand softly and Damascus paused. He stared at Dominic in a trance like state. I wondered if they were communicating via telepathy and that made me wonder if I had that look when I talked to my beasts.

"Very well. Be quick." Damascus said before taking off into the sky.

My legs turned to jelly. I was visibly shaking and for a second I was grateful for Dominic's strong arms. Then he spoke.

"Ray."

It was gentle and pleading and made me pissed.

"Let go of me." I hissed. I writhed in his grip. "Let go!" I snarled like I was a beast. I think I even lashed out at him with my fingers curled into claws.

I wrenched myself free and stood in front of him ready to fight. He looked at me with a sad and tortured expression.

"Raven." He said his voice rough with emotion. "I never meant for this to happen."

His shoulders were rounded and even his wings hung a bit limpy. My heart swelled with pity and the cracks festered and burned.

"But it did." I said in a low voice. Tears burned in my eyes. "You knew. You knew Damascus and that he was going to hurt me."

He locked eyes with me. His purple eyes looked severely tormented. But it had to be a ruse. He had to have known this would happen.

"Did you really think for one second that you could keep this a secret from me or even from Damascus?" I asked. Tears started running tracks down my cheeks. This just made me want to cry even more because I've done the one thing I didn't want to do in front of him.

"I didn't care." He said. He stepped towards me, but I backed up. My body was tense and I was ready to spring or bolt. His hands fell to his sides, defeated. "I was so happy being with you on that island. I didn't want that to end."

"So you were willing to keep on lying to me for your happiness?" I accused. I felt used. Worse than used actually.

"I wanted to tell you." He said. "But Damascus forbad me to reveal myself to anyone."

I didn't know what to say. I was done confronting him. I just wanted to go back to my room, curl up under my blankets and cry.

Dominic walked over and clasped my hands in his.

"I can't begin to express in words how sorry I am that I've hurt you." He touched my cheek and wiped the tears away with his thumb. My lips started trembling.

He pulled me into his arms and wrapped his wings around me.

"I'm sorry." He murmured in my ear. "I'm so, so sorry. I'll do anything to win your forgiveness."

My fingers automatically curled into his shirt. I wanted to forget this morning so badly. I wanted to go back to when we first met when I was just a stupid half-breed stuck in the body of a panther.

But I didn't have the powers of time travel, at least I don't think I do, so we were both stuck in this big huge mess that had become my life.

"Let me go, Dominic." I twisted away and he easily let me go. I couldn't look at him. I knew I was going to fall apart. "I've got to go."

I turned away from him and began walking in the opposite direction.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

I felt drunk. The ground was warped and I had no idea where my feet where taking me. Once I was out of Dominic's sight I called up darkness and light to shield me from prying human eyes. Like I needed the mass populous freaking out because some girl with angel wings was walking around.

_"Just get home. Just get home."_ I thought.

I think was almost there when I gave-up. I darted down an alley. I found a rather clean spot and pressed my back against the wall. I slid slowly down and hugged my knees to my chest. My body shook and I just cried my little heart out.

My life just sucked right now. I wanted to march up to some poor soul who was homeless and had cancer and dare them to give me a worse situation than mine.

If I helped Damascus find the key the world was screwed, but if I didn't then he would slowly kill off everyone I love until I finally helped him anyway and the world was still screwed.

So, sorry world I think no matter what I decide you are screwed.

I heard a small movement. I looked up and saw something hiding under a dumpster. Reflective blue eyes gazed out at me. The shadow was rather cat looking.

I hope it was a kitten. I needed some kitty cat love.

"Hey." I said softly. I wiped my face and hoped my blotchy face didn't scare it away. "Come 'ere." I offered my hand for it to sniff. It slid back. "Come on." I said in an even softer tone. "I'm not going to hurt you. Come on. Kitty kitty kitty kit-"

It wasn't a cat.

It was a baby dragon.

It sniffed my hand and I was too stunned to flinch at its hot breath.

This. Was. A. Baby. Dragon.

The light reflected off its silver scales and the two silver horns curving out of the back of its head. Two bat like wings stuck out of its spine and it had small curved silver talons. It was about the size of an adult cat.

Baby. Dragon.

It gave me a small coo. Its big wide sky blue eyes gazed up at me with a hopeful expression.

"Well come here." I said finally finding my voice.

It didn't waste any time crawling into my lap. Its small talons curled into my jeans and it was trembling. It made small worried noises as it buried its nose into my navel.

"How did you get here?" I asked.

A slideshow of images danced across my mind. I saw a fiery red and gold dragon fighting off two larger dragons who were trying to get to a litter of little baby dragons. This little stinker was among them.

Mama dragon roared and the babies took off. It had gotten separated from its littermates and had stumbled through a rip in the air.

It showed me pictures of cars and trucks bearing down on it and an image of it cowering with its paws over its head to help block out all the noise.

Damascus was right. The veil was collapsing. If this wasn't proof I don't what was.

"Come on." I stood up and cradled it against my breasts. It clung to my shirt and buried its head in my elbow. "Let's go home."

I marched down the alley, no longer depressed drunk.

"What's your name?" I asked. It peered up at me with those really big blue eyes. "I'm Raven."

It placed an image of a black bird in my mind with a questioning emotion to join it.

I nodded. "Raven."

It gave me an image of its silver scales.

"Silver?"

Then a picture of a cloud.

"Silvercloud?"

It shook its head. It put a fuzzy image in my mind that I couldn't decipher.

"Um, Silverstorm?"

It warbled at me. It gave me the cloud and the fuzzy image together.

"Silverdream?"

It nodded and snuggled against me again.

"Silverdream." It sounded female. "Are you female?"

It nodded against my chest.

"Do you mind if I call you Skye for short?" I asked. I couldn't get the blueness of its eyes out of my head and Silverdream was a bit a mouth full.

She purred or hummed or vibrated. Her chest vibrating and the feelings she emitted where happy. I'm not sure what the technical name for dragon happy noises are so I'm just going to refer to it as purring.

"All right. Come on Skye." I said.

She purred as I walked back towards the depot.

This was the first time an animal had communicated with me with just emotions and images. I wondered if it was her age or because she was an immortal beast. I would have to ask Snap if she knew.

I peered around the little yard in front of the depot to make sure there wasn't something nasty waiting for me, like that hellhound thing. I spread my wings and soared up to my bedroom.

Snap was sitting on my bed waiting for me.

_"Where have you-" _She stopped mid-thought when she saw Skye. Skye peered at Snap. I hoped she didn't think that Snap looked yummy.

"Skye. Snap. Snap. Skye." I said putting Skye down on my bed.

She sniffed Snap. She put the images of black and the green of Snap's eyes in my mind. But she didn't have a clear picture for Snap's name.

_"Raven, this is a hatchling."_

"Yeah, I know." I shucked off my jeans and yanked my boxers back on.

_"Do you realize how much care she'll need? She needs much more attention than any mortal infant."_

"What was supposed to do? Leave her?" I asked. I slid under my covers. Skye stomped over and curled up next to me. "Who else can take care of her properly?"

Snap's tail thumped. _"What happened to her mother?"_

"I think she was attacked." I said. "At least that's what Skye showed me."

_"Skye."_

"Yeah. Her full name is Silverdream, but she says its fine for me to call her Skye for short."

"_Raven. Nursing mothers are very protective of their young. Especially dragons. Remember the stories of irate dragons? Most of those where told by those who've seen a mother dragon coming after someone who took her baby."_

"So, you're afraid that her mom is going to come and eat me?" I asked.

_"You don't explain anything to protective dragon."_

"Well what am I supposed to do? I'm probably the best qualified to take care of her. Anyone else would sell her or kill her."

Skye snuggled closer to me. I stroked her back. Her scales were smooth and leathery. She purred.

Snap sighed. _"I don't like it. But it's not like you or the hatchling have much choice." _She padded over and curled up on my extra pillow.

I curled around my pillow with Skye snuggled up against my breasts. I blinked slowly and fell instantly into sleep.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Where am I?" I asked the air.

I was somewhere in some trees. The moonstone was thrumming against my chest and I had a feeling I was astral projecting.

I sighed. Meditation was starting to sound like a good thing if I can get this power under control. I did just have a really long day and I just wanted to sleep like a rock.

I walked around. It was late afternoon. I feel like I hadn't been asleep for very long. Well, hopefully I still could some coma like sleep into my sleeping cycle.

"What are you doing here Damascus?"

Shit. I knew that voice. I jogged over and found a break in the trees. Kalona was there with my other brothers. On the other side was Damascus and Dominic. I walked over and stood next to Kalona. I know that no one could see me and I'm pretty sure they couldn't hurt me as well, but I felt safer next to Kalona.

My brothers shifted around me, hissing and chattering like, well, birds.

Damascus shrugged. "Just checking up on you. Banishment can be tolling on an immortal. Especially a Divine's Warrior."

I thought I saw Kalona's fists clench and then unclench really fast.

"But at least you have your children." Damascus gazed at the Raven Mockers. I couldn't tell, but I think he was actually a bit pleased. O-kay. Then he said, "Where's your pretty little daughter?" in a creepy ass tone that had the small hairs on my body standing straight up.

My brothers bristled up and snarled at Damascus. Um, okay. I didn't realize that I was something worth defending on their terms. Some of them looked ready to launch themselves at Damascus. Even Kalona looked pissed. Not that I blame him with Damascus using that creeper pedophile voice.

"Not here." Kalona said. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I've taken many sons from their fathers, but nothing hurts them worse than harming their precious baby girl. She is the youngest isn't she?"

I saw Kalona's jaw clench. He looked ready to throttle Damascus.

"I suppose it's actually a good thing she was killed in her first life. I'm sure some Cherokee warrior would have thought it would have been poetic justice to harm your daughter the way you harmed all those maidens."

"What is your reason being here?" Kalona asked in a sharp tone.

As far as I could tell he was just here to piss Kalona off.

"I'm just curious about how much you care for your baby girl." He said. His blue eyes gleamed with malice.

Damascus was going to use me to hurt Kalona. Period.

"Perhaps I underestimated your love for her. After all, she isn't here under the protection of her father and brothers." He said.

Honestly! Did this guy just go around and push people's buttons? I mean I could see a vein in Kalona's neck throbbing and the Raven Mocker's eyes were glaring pissed off red. I'm not sure if Kalona was pissed because he is worried about me and Damascus was pointing out how vulnerable I was or if he was upset that Damascus was just pointing out how Kalona's parental authority has no effect on me.

"We both know those fledglings she's with won't stop me if I chose to take her." Damascus said.

I stepped closer towards Kalona. He was my daddy, despite how much we both deny it, and I wanted my father's protection.

"Surely just taking revenge on me isn't enough for you to make an effort to retrieve her." Kalona asked.

Damascus shot Kalona a look that stopped my heart. Yes. Yes, revenge was enough for him to come and get me.

"She's the mediator."

Kalona's head snapped up. O-kay. Was there something I'm missing about my job?

"She knows where the Key of Portals is, even though it's subconsciously."

"If you attempt to rage war on the mortal realm, the Divine will step in and destroy you." Kalona said.

"Isn't that what you want?" Damascus asked. "I thought you wanted to enslave this world's people? Destroy the chaff, preserve the wheat?"

Kalona gave him a look of pure loathing.

"We're on the same side Kalona." Damascus said. "Things would go so much smoother and easier for the both of us if we join efforts."

His tone was so pleading that I wondered if Kalona would join him. After all, Kalona doesn't seem to be getting anywhere with the whole world take over thing.

"I suggest you leave before I make you." Kalona said.

Damascus glared at Kalona. "Very well." He said in a clip tone. He shot an angry look at Dominic before he threw himself into the sky.

"You were the vampyre with my daughter." Kalona said as Dominic was spreading his wings to join his master.

Dominic paused and looked at Kalona.

"I never meant to hurt her."

I closed my eyes. Not again.

"She's remarkably kind and incredibly sweet." Dominic said. "Don't let Damascus harm her."

"If you care about her-"

"I'm his heir."

I looked at Kalona and saw pity hidden deep on his face. I wondered if there was something I missing about the whole heir business.

"Please, just keep her safe." Dominic pleaded once more before he took off.

I watched him, feeling my heart breaking even more, getting swallowed up into the darkening sky.

Then I felt a needle sharp pain in my hand and my spirit shot back into my body.


	4. Chapter Three

**AN: **Yeah two chapters! Have fun reading!

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

I jerked awake. Skye was on my chest with one of my hands clamped in her jaws. When she saw my eyes were open she immediately dropped it and gave me a pitiful moaning sound.

I sat up and she scuttled over into my lap to moan at me again.

I glanced at my hand. There was a large, red intention, but only a couple of teeth prints actually drew blood. I couldn't get mad at her because she was still moaning at me and I was starting to panic because I had no idea what's wrong with her.

"What's wrong?" She didn't look hurt or like she was in incredible pain, but I wasn't an expert on dragons.

She put an image of half chewed meat and her nursing from her mother into my mind. Dragons were breast feeders. Who knew!

"Are you hungry?"

Her stomach gave a loud growl. She moaned.

Surprisingly I still wasn't upset she bite my hand. She had to be starving. How long had she been wondering on her own before she stumbled across me?

"All right. Let me get dressed and we'll figure out what to feed you." I said.

Skye gave a happy chirp and wagged her tail. Snap lifted her head and glared at the hatchling before burying her paws under her nose.

I walked over to my wardrobe and gave a huff. What in the hell was I going to wear? It was kinda of nippy for a tank top, but it was the only thing with a low back that I had. I really didn't want to cut slits in all my t-shirts and well, t-shirts don't sound like something a mystical half-bred/mediator type would wear.

"Crap." I suddenly realized that I was going to have to tell Zoey and the gang about the collapsing veil and it would probably be noble of me to warn the Tulsa Vampyre Council that this was happening too. Then it probably wasn't a good idea for me to come in one of my ratty looking tank tops.

I finally found a sleeveless top that was rather nice and classy looking, I mean only my shoulders are exposed no cleavage or anything like that, and some nice jeans and my calf hugging high heeled boots.

I yanked my pajamas off and pulled on the clothes. I brushed my hair and clipped my bangs back with a purple jeweled clip. I looked at myself in the full length mirror in the wardrobe door.

My stomach rippled, but I had no idea if it was a good or bad feeling. Old Ray was there, my hair still had its blue sheen and slight curl and my eyes were still the same odd amber color, but she looked different. I looked…ancient. The wings, the tats, even the clothes made me look like some ancient protector of earth. All I needed was some kick ass weapon.

Skye warbled at me.

"All right, all right. I'm coming." I said tearing away from my reflection. I picked her up so she could curl around the back of my neck like one of those fox scarf things.

Her nostrils flared as she sniffed the musty, earthy air. She gave a small squeaky sneeze and miniscule sparks shot out of her nostrils.

"Bless you." I said in my kitty voice.

No one was up yet, but I could hear stirrings behind the blankets. I let out a huff of air. What was I going to tell them? Or how much was I going to tell them?

Not about the whole deal thing. They would be extremely noble and tell me to just say no regardless of the threat to their lives. Then I would be dooming them to slow and painful deaths that would end on me surrendering to him anyway.

I shook my head. I needed to not think about it. I was going to make myself sick with worry.

I walked into the kitchen and plopped Skye on the table. She gave another coo/chirp sound and stood behind me as I looked into the fridge.

What do dragons eat? I mean, she breast feeds, but we don't have formula and people don't make dragon formula. Was she old enough for solids? I really hoped I didn't need to eat raw meat and then vomit it back up like birds do. Ew.

This weird calm came over me and began grabbing things without thinking about it. A jug of milk and package of grounded beef stood on the counter while I put a pan on a burner.

Skye climbed up onto the counter to watch me with her big blue eyes.

I poured the milk into the sauce pan and then rolled the ground beef into little balls before dumping into the milk.

"This is really weird, but I'm going to listen to my instincts otherwise you may starve." I told Skye.

She just looked at me with a questioning expression.

"No one has seen a dragon in this realm since the veil was made, I think." I said. "I'm not a hundred percent sure because I don't know when the veil was made and dragons are a big part of medieval myth. But my point is that there are no dragon manuals around so I have no idea if I'm feeding you right."

She just purred.

I stirred the meat and milk mixture, which actually didn't smell as bad as it sounded, and Skye peered into the mixture.

She looked at the stove and put the image of a small dragon breathing fire from the inside of a metal box.

"Um. Upwalkers in this realm use a magic called electricity."

Question mark.

"It's sort of like…um…harnessed lightening." I said. "It makes everything in here work."

An image of mini suns were placed in my mind.

"Uses electricity."

She rubbed her front paw over her nose.

I dug through the cabinets and dug out a cup and found a pair of leather gloves. I cut off the tip and then bound it to the top of the cup. What I got was a decent baby bottle.

"I guess it'll work." I said.

I poured the milk into the bottle and put the meat onto a plate. I sat down cross legged on the floor.

"Come 'ere Skye, I gots breakfast for you." I said sloshing the liquid in the cup.

She scuttled off the counter and curled into my lap on her back. She immediately began suckling.

This warm, motherly feeling enveloped me. It was just cute and…and…and… it was just cute, okay. It was so cute I was almost in tears. That's only happened a few times, mostly when I watched the Too Cute show on Animal Planet.

When she finished the milk she gave a manly belch.

I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. Who knew such a tiny little thing could belch that loud? I grabbed the plate and set in down in front of her.

She looked at me.

"What?"

She warbled at me.

"It's fine." I picked up a small ball and offered it to her. She sniffed it and then gobbled it down. "See fine."

She warbled at me again. I looked at her. She looked at me, then the plate, and then back at me.

"You want me to hand feed you?"

She wriggled her little body and chirped.

I sighed. I picked up another glob of milk covered meat and offered it to her.

"I have not had you long enough for you to be spoiled." I told her as she snatched the meat out of my fingers.

"Raven?"

I looked up and saw Aphrodite, Darius, Zoey, and Stark standing the doorway. I saw others sleepily peering into the kitchen. The sleepness vanished when they spotted Skye.

"What the hell is that?" Aphrodite asked.

"A flying salamander." I answered. Skye nuzzled my hand and I picked up another piece of meat to give her. She swallowed the meat and licked her lips with a purple colored tongue. She sniffed the air and then turned to see the fledglings and vampyres staring at her.

She let out a warble and hid behind my back.

"What are y'all standing around for?" Stevie Rae asked.

"Ray has a dragon." Zoey said.

"A what?" Kramisha asked.

"Come 'ere Skye. They're not going to hurt you." I said.

"You named it?" Aphrodite spat.

"She was already named. Skye's just a nickname." I said as I stood up to put the meat onto the counter. Skye wrapped her front legs around my leg and I could feel her trembling.

"They're not going to hurt you." I told her again.

"I'm more worried about her hurting us." Aphrodite said.

"She's just a baby. She can't do much damage." I told her as I bent down to hold her against my bosom. She felt more comfortable in my arms and peered at the gathered who were staring at her. I sat down in a chair and stroked her spine.

"Where did you find her?" Stark asked. He pulled Zoey out of the doorway so the other fledglings, my brother, and Stevie Rae could come in and gawk at the silver growth on my chest.

"I came across her in an alley." I said. "I couldn't leave her. She is just a baby. She doesn't even know how to communicate with me via words, only pictures and feelings."

Damien walked over, his eyes were still puffy and red looking and it made my heart ache looking at him, and offered two fingers for Skye to sniff. She relaxed and licked his fingers with her purple tongue. He giggled and scratched the top of her head.

"She's kinda cute." He said breaking out into a smile for the first time in a long while. Evidently those big blue eyes were magic for the soul.

Everyone seemed to visibly relax. They sorted through the cabinets looking for breakfast munchies. But Rephaim paused and studied my face.

"Ray, what happened to your face?"

He came over and turned my face so he could look at my left cheek. Someone gasped. "I thought it was a weird shadow." Someone whispered. He touched my cheek.

"Ow!" I said. It was like his touch unleashed the dam that held the pain back because my cheek was suddenly _throbbing._

"Ray, what happened?" Stevie Rae said with big blue eyes.

I chewed my lip while Rephaim filled a baggie with ice.

"I…uh…kinda ran into…um…Damascus."

I thought everyone had been stunned when they saw Skye, but that was nothing compared to the reaction everyone gave me bow.

Evidently Zoey or Stark had told everyone about Damascus because they were all staring at me with pure shock, almost like they couldn't believe I was still here after running into the Immortal who was looking for me. It was so quiet I could hear everyone breathing.

"You ran into Damascus?" Darius said slowly.

I nodded.

"And he struck you?" Rephaim said hotly. He handed me the baggie and pressed the ice to my face.

"I sorta sassed him."

Stark face palmed.

"You think you would get a clue to watch your mouth." Aphrodite said.

"That's funny coming from you." Erin said.

Shaunee giggled. But before she could give twinly remark Darius interrupted her.

"Why did he let you go?" Of course Darius was the one who got to the heart of the issue.

I shrugged. "Not sure." I lied. I couldn't tell them. I should, but I couldn't. They were already probably stressing about the fact Neferet would probably like them dead. No need to mention this as well.

"He wanted my help finding something."

"What?"

I took a deep breath. "He told me that there's a veil that prevents mortals and immortals from traveling between the two realms. But it's collapsing and he wants me to find this key that would (a) prevent that and (b) allow him to open and close portals between the worlds at will."

"And you honestly think he was just a concerned citizen?" Aphrodite sneered.

"Yes Aphrodite, I'm that thick headed and stupid to believe him." I snapped. "He _hit _me. Last time I checked concerned citizens don't hit people whose help that would like to have."

"Why you?" Rephaim said.

"He mentioned Kalona a lot." I admitted. "I don't think they got along whenever they had met. Also, he told me that because I'm the mediator I subconsciously know where this key is." I shrugged. "Maybe he thought by letting me go off to do my own thing that I could figure out how to tap into whatever I need to and find that key for him faster than if he stuffed me in some danky basement."

Rephaim had put a hand on my shoulder during my little speech and his grip had tightened. I realized that right now we were both the only family for one another right now since Kalona had sorta of disowned us. We were a couple of misfits.

I started humming the misfit song in my head.

"And Dominic just had to leave this morning."

Stark had said it casually, but that didn't stop my heart from clenching and the scars from festering.

Zoey turned to face him. "Dominic left?"

"He said an old friend had called him and was in a real tight jam."

Zoey looked at me for confirmation.

"Yeah." I sighed. I hoped that they couldn't see me falling apart. "He didn't want to go." Rather true, or at least he told me that he didn't want to leave me, but I still wasn't too sure if I believed his words or not. "But he's known me for what, a couple of weeks? He's not my Warrior or Guardian. I told him I would be fine while he goes deals with his old friend." Old friend. How long has he been Damascus's heir? And why couldn't I bring myself to tell them that? It could be I was embarrassed I let him get so close and manipulate me. A tiny little voice suggested that I was protecting him from my friends.

Wrong! If I was protecting anyone it _was _my friends. Obviously Dominic had gone to some lengths to keep his masquerade as a traveling vampyre so me just outing him could cause some back lash towards my friends.

"No solo flying." Stark ordered.

"You can't tell me what to do!" I said. I shoved and swallowed all my mixed feelings over the Dominic thing, but I think I might have to sneak up to my room and have bit of a cry.

"Raven." Rephaim said. I took the chance and looked up at him. "Please."

"Fine." I said. My voice had turned hoarse. I was scared. More than I hoped I was letting on.

Rephaim hugged me and I clung to one of his arms. Skye nuzzled my arm.

"Come 'ere." Stevie Rae wrapped her arms around both of us.

I laughed. I was so gratefully to have all of them. But there was that awful inkling that I would be the cause for their deaths.


	5. Chapter Four

"Oh, for shit's sake. I'm not getting in _that_. The bus is for 'tards." Aphrodite said with a snort and she tossed her hair.

"What's wrong with riding in a short bus?" I asked. Skye peered at the bus. She studied it like she was waiting for it to do something. I think she was waiting for it to come and eat her. "And could you please not cuss in front of Skye. She is just a baby."

Aphrodite looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"We're not that big of a group so it's more environmental friendly for us to ride in a short bus." I said. "Rather than those gas guzzling monsters and I don't' want Skye to pick up any bad words right now." God, how bad would that be if the first word she telepathed to me was damn, hell, shit, ass, or (heaven forbid) fuck.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes.

"If you start spouting out a bunch of bull shit about how we're irreparably damaging the planet I'm going to kick your ass."

"I don't believe a lot about what some of those extremists say, but I do think we need to think about what we're doing and how it is going to affect the planet." I said. "And you just used two cuss words."

Aphrodite just looked irritated.

Skye warbled and rested her chin on the curve of my neck. I scratched her wing base.

"Y'all, it's not that bad. I mean, obviously it's a new bus. Check out the fresh black House of Night lettering." Stevie Rae said. Was she always this optimistic?

"It might as well say Social Suicide." Aphrodite said.

"It could honestly be worse." I said. "It could say 'Air-head-blonde-Prophetess Express.'"

Aphrodite glared at me. I gave her a cheezy grin.

"You are just asking for me to kill you in your sleep."

"Have fun taking care of Skye then." I showed her my hand which was still a bit red. "She gets a little grumpy when she's hungry."

"Y'all be nice." Stevie Rae said. She went up to the bus. She grinned through the doors at the driver. The driver opened the doors, but he didn't smile back at her which I thought was kinda of rude.

"Priestess." He said in a really serious tone. "Zoey, I'm to notify you and Stevie Rae that there will be a school Council Meeting, which will convene in thirty minutes. You are both to attend."

"Okay. I was just like to add that the Mediator has something to she need to inform the council on."

"I do?" I asked.

"Yeah dipshit." Aphrodite told me. "What part of 'some Immortals cornered me early this morning and told me the fucking veil is collapsing.'"

"You guys can't tell them that?" I asked. "I really don't want to go to school." I frowned. "And you just dropped the f-bomb. "

"Raven." Darius started. "I'm sure no one feels comfortable leaving you alone here."

Rephaim squeezed my shoulder. "I will stay with Raven."

I sighed. "Don't worry. I'll go. You'll just be worrying about that dork anyway." I pointed at Stevie Rae who was peering at us from over a bus seat. "I guess I better go find a bag so I can hide Skye if I need to."

I flared my wings and took off to my room. I think I was going to have to keep my window open indefinitely because it was a lot easier to fly up here than to walk up the stairs. I put Skye on my bed and began rummaging through a plastic crate in my wardrobe where they shoved my purses into when creating my bedroom. I finally found my huge canvas bag that my mom and I decorated together. My mom and I really liked doing crafts together even when I got older.

A sharp pain stabbed my chest area. I actually rubbed my breast bone because it hurt so much. I'm still waiting for my heart to just give out because I'm letting too many people to worm their way in and then get ripped out, leaving a huge hole that probably would never heal and just be a humongous infection forever.

I need to quit being so negative. I need a healthy injection of something remarkably happy and hopeful to stab into my arm before I become irreparably depressed.

"Come on Skye, we're going to school."

She tilted her head at me and looked really funny and cute at the same time. Gods, I heart this dragon.

"School. It's where we Upwalkers go to learn about the world and all the sh-stuff we're supposed to know." I said.

She put an image of the big gold and red dragon into my head.

"Our parents teach us some of the stuff we need to know, but we learn more stuff at school than at home." I explained.

She frowned and put the image of her mother again. In this image the mother was curled around the babies and was telling them stories of the realm.

"Well, some people in this realm are sucky parents and don't take their responsibilities as parental units seriously." I said.

She just looked confused.

"It's a big gathering of people. It's fun." I said picking her up. She grumbled and perched her front paws on my shoulders. I stuffed my phone into one of the pockets and my license, even though I'm sure I'm never going to drive again. I mean, how in the world am I going to squeeze my wings into the driver's seat? I did pocket my keys as well. I figured one of the fledglings or one of the nerd herd could drive my car here so they had an extra motorized vehicle around.

I clutched Skye to my chest and dove out of the window. I slid Skye into the bag once I landed. She peeked her head out of the bag and chittered at me.

"Sorry. People may freak out if they see an angel looking girl with a pet dragon." I told her.

"Yes!"

Okay, I'll admit it I jumped when they all yelled that word. I had no idea why they shouted yes, but it freaked me out. As far as I know they just decided to a sacrifice a virgin, which I think I was the only one among us who qualified.

"Come on Ray." Stevie Rae said hooking her arm through mine and the other through Rephaim's. She marched us onto the bus.

Skye warbled and stuck her head into the bag.

"You're all right, Skye." I said sitting down in the seat over the wheel well. Snap hoped into the seat next to me.

"You can't come." I said.

_"Again, you are extremely reckless." _She said. _"I can't expect these children to keep a proper eye on you."_

I sighed, but I honestly was use to her degrading everyone save for her own species.

The bus roared to life and Skye borrowed deeper into the bag.

"It's all right." I told her. I reached into her bag and stroked her smooth scales. She clasped a paw around two of my fingers.

A warm motherly feeling enveloped me again. Well at least I didn't give birth to her. I bet she would have kicked, a lot. Sure the whole raising a baby dragon got thrusted upon me on top of all the other crap I have to do right now, but I wasn't going to abandon her. Even I fail with the whole Damascus/veil/Key of Portals things I'm going to raise and protect Skye. Period.

Of course I had no idea how I was to explain the whole situation probably. I doubt Neferet is going to be civil about me being at the Council meeting and telling everyone the veil is collapsing because of the chaos she is causing. Hope this what you wanted bitch!

Skye nosed her way out of the bag and peered out the window. She chittered at me.

"I told it would be fine." I told her. I scratched around her horns.

She warbled and licked my hand. I stared out the window and tried not to think too much.

We started going through the iron gate of the House of Night and I suppressed a groan. Skye climbed up onto the edge of the seat in front of us and began sniffing Kramisha's hair.

"She ain't goin to bite is she?" Kramisha asked.

"She's not hungry so I doubt it." I said.

Kramisha offered her fingers for Skye to sniff. The little dragon sniffed them and gave them a soft lick.

"She cute." She said scratching behind Skye's horn like she saw me do.

The bus driver vampyre person parked with a jerk. "School Council Meeting begins at seven thirty. Classes begin at eight o'clock sharp, just like they should."

Bossy.

"Thank you." Zoey said. She stood up and looked at us. "Okay. Just go to your old homeroom and wait there for what to do next . Stevie Rae, Stark, Raven, and I are going to the Council Meeting and, as they'd say on the Isle of Skye, get Rephaim's and your permanent schedules sorted."

I poked Snap. "You're not on that list."

She glared at me and thumped her tail.

"How 'bout me? Ain't I comin' to the Meeting?" Kramisha asked. "It's usually borin', but I bet today it'll be better than usual." She looked at me.

"What?"

"The last time we were here you slapped Dragon." Johnny B said.

"As long as he acts like an adult I won't slap him." I said. I put Skye into the bag. She grumbled. "I don't want someone to freak out about you." I reminded her. She grumbled some more, but curled up into the rested her chin on the curve of my neck. I scartched

"Just try not to kill someone." Stark said.

"Like Neferet?" I asked. "I make no promises on that. I make no promises period because you never know what's going to happen between now and whenever the need to kill someone pops up."

Everyone looked at me rather weird.

"What?" I asked.

They just shook their heads before filing off the bus. Snap hopped onto my shoulders. I scratched her head and took a deep breath.

I waved bye to the others who went off to go learn (sucks to be them) while we who were doomed to go to talk with adults stick around.

"Ready to enter the lion's den?" Zoey asked.

"If it was lion's den I would be more than ready." I said. "Lions are actually really nice."

Zoey and Stevie Rae laughed.

"Well let's cowboy up and get this done." Stevie Rae said.

I stuck out my tongue. "Fine." Skye stirred in the bag. "Let's go let the dragon out of the bag."

XOXOXOXXOXOX

It was sort of painful watching Zoey trying to set up Skype so we could talk with the head of the entire vampyre race, Duantia. I mean, I suck at technology most of the time. Hell, I don't even have one of those stupid touch screen phones with internet. Texting is more than enough. But even I know how to use Skype!

I twiddled my thumbs and tried to slow my heart rate. I was more than a little nervous about talking to not only Tulsa's Council, but the most High Council of the vampyre world. Shouldn't the Fae/Nature picked a mediator with better public speaking skills? Skye stirred in the bag. Soft snores emitted from it, but everyone was far too interest in what Zoey was doing to pay attention to my squirming bag.

_"We're going to be here until we grow silver hairs." _Snap said.

I shoved her. She gave me a quick hiss and then thumped me with her tail.

"What is exactly the point behind-" Dragon started, but then Neferet whisked in on her black cloud of nastiness. Lucky for us (Stevie Rae, Zoey, Kramisha, and myself) Duantia's voice came from the computer.

"Merry meet, Zoey Redbird." She said pleasantly. "I am pleased to speak with you again."

Zoey bowed. "Merry, meet Duantia. Thank you for making time for this call."

"Merry meet, Duantia." Slutty slime ball said. "I must apologize. I knew nothing about this call. I was only expecting a simple school Council Meeting." She gave Zoey a steely look. "Are you responsible for this, Zoey?"

"Yeah, definitely. I would have told you earlier, but you just now got here." She gave Neferet a cheery grin before turning back to Duantia. "I wanted to make sure the High Council heard all the details about Nyx's amazing appearance at the school yesterday and I knew Neferet would be eager to share with you as well."

Damn. Zoey could be such a sneaky bitch sometimes.

"Actually, we know very little, which is one of the reasons I was looking forward to this call." She turned to Neferet. "I tried to contact you during the day, after I instructed Dragon to allow the red fledglings and Zoey's group to begin attending classes today, but I could not reach you, High Priestess."

"I was secluded in deep prayer." Neferet said.

Yeah, praying to a face of the devil.

"All the more reason for this call." Duantia said.

Stevie Rae and Zoey began telling Duantia what happened. I wasn't paying too much attention. I was worrying about talking to Duantia and I was trying to keep myself in my seat and leap across the room and shove all my light might down Neferet's throat!

Deep soothing breaths. Deep soothing, peaceful…

"Well, Raven, the mediator, has something very important to tell us." Zoey said.

Shit.

"Mediator?" Duantia said.

"Sadly." I said. I showed her the tattoos on my arms. "The Fae on the Isle of Skye marked me as their voice and gave their allegiance and protection to me as well."

"I have also heard that the Fae and the goddess Artemis made an appearance as well as our beloved Goddess." She said giving me a nice smile.

I nodded. I still had no idea what to say. "I asked the Fae to help honor my friend, Jack. Artemis also had some advice to give me." I shrugged. Yep, I suck at speeches.

"From what I understand, you are the speaker for the Fae as well as the mortal beasts."

"From what I understand I'm the sort of the peacemaker between species." I said. "I'm not a hundred percent sure on the details of my job. No one has really sat down with me and completely explained my job to me."

_"I've told you-"_

I shoved Snap. She hissed at me. I smiled at Duantia who was giving me a bit of a strange look.

"Sorry." I said.

"I'm curious about your ability to communicate with beasts. Do you read their thoughts?"

"It's more like we talk with one another via thoughts, but I don't think I actually _read _their minds. I can sense them and pick up emotions and images from them, but I really don't think I mind snoop." I ranted. I scratched Snap's ears.

"We have also heard rumors that you control Darkness and Light." She said.

"Yes. I have manifested the ability to control the elements of light and darkness." I said. "Darkness came first, but when I realized that darkness and light where just elements I guess that's when I figured out how to harness light as well." That and a fucking harpy was trying to possess my body. I think that helped out a bit.

"Very interesting." She said.

I hoped she meant interesting as in interesting and not interesting as in 'we're going to keep a big eye on you' interesting.

"What is that you wish to share with us?" She asked.

I chewed my lip. "I went out flying early this morning and two immortals cornered me."

"Immortals?" Lenobia asked. She looked really concerned which is understandable since the last immortal she came in contact with screwed with her school.

I nodded. "They told me that the veil between our realm and their realm is collapsing."

"A veil." Duantia repeated.

"Evidently a long time ago Immortals came to our realm, but something happened and a group of humans and vampyres banished them back to their realm and created the veil to prevent them from coming back, but because it's collapsing immortal beasts are stumbling into our realm." I said.

Neferet gave a soft snort. I looked at her. "Do you have something you wish to say?"

She shook her head like I was a child. She looked at Duantia. "Raven is the daughter of the immortal being Kalona. She has no proof of this, so how can we be sure that what she says is true and not some elaborate way to spy for her father?"

I took a deep breath. I was really tempted to blast her right onto her ass and gag her.

"One, Kalona does not recognize me as his daughter. Two, I'm his reincarnated child and in my first life I didn't survive my first night. Three," I reached into my bag and plopped Skye onto the table. "this is Silverdream, but I've nicknamed her Skye."

Everyone's mouths dropped, even Neferet's, and they were blinking slowly like they couldn't believe their eyes. I couldn't say I was surprised by their reaction because it was a baby dragon.

Skye yawned and blinked slowly. She looked at me and warbled. I scratched behind her horns and she did her dragon purr.

"My Goddess." Duantia said.

Skye turned towards the sound and peered at the computer. She stood up on her feet and cocked her head as she studied the machine. She walked slowly over and sniffed it.

"A dragon."

Skye went berserk when Duantia spoke. She screeched and flared her wings. She then growled and pounced onto the computer.

"Skye." I picked her up. She chittered and scrambled up onto my shoulders hissing and spitting at the machine.

She put the images of the cars, monsters, and strangely an image of thick tar. I wasn't a hundred percent on what the last image was.

"It's more electricity. " I told her. "More modern magic."

She looked at me with disbelief and hissed at the computer again. I sighed and stroked her neck.

"When I left I sorta didn't believe what they were saying was true either, but then I came across Skye and well…" I trailed off.

"And she stumbled through a hole in the veil?" Duantia asked. She didn't seem to have been startled by Skye's attack and the computer wasn't damaged either.

Skye hissed. I nodded. "Skye's a bit different than other beasts I've come across. I'm not sure if it's because she's immortal or because of her age, but she communicates only through pictures. I did see her memories of when she came here and I'm pretty sure that's what happened."

"Pretty sure." Neferet said.

"Yes" I snapped. "She hasn't used any words. She even 'calls' me Raven, by showing a picture of a raven."

Skye climbed slowly down and stood in front of the computer unsure.

"Why did these Immortals seek you out?" Duantia asked.

"Because I'm the mediator." I said sadly. "They thought I could help them find an object that's very important to them." I didn't want to give her too much information with Neferet right there. Like the Key of Portals needs to get into her uber control freak hands.

"I see." Duantia said.

Skye spread her wings and warbled at the computer. She fanned them before walking over to me and straddling my stretched out arm and laying her head into my palm. I could already feel the pins and needles starting in my arm.

Duantia smiled. "She seems quite attached to you."

I smiled. "I supposed that's a good thing for the both of us." I rubbed her chin with my finger.

She sighed. "So, what do you suggest we do to solve this issue?"

Why are you asking me? You're the leader of the fucking vampyre world! I'm just the mediator! And my job isn't that well explained either!

"I would really appreciate it if you could look into your libraries and see if you could find anything on the Immortals, mediators, and anything on the veil and the key." I said. "I mean, I don't know where the key is and neither do the two Immortals."

"I would be more than happy to help you." She said.

"Thank you very much." I said. I was going to snoop in this House of Night's library, but the Head Vampyre Library probably has a shitload of books.

"If that is all, then I would like to bid you all a blessed be."

"Blessed be." We answered.

The Skype made its chirp noise and Duantia disappeared.

"Well, that was interesting." Lenobia said. She reached out and scratched Skye's horn. She rolled over onto her back. I scratched her stomach and she purred.

"Yes, interesting is one word to describe what that was." Neferet said. Was I the only one who took that a little more than creepy?

"Congratulations, High Priestess." Zoey told Stevie Rae.

"Yeah, congrats." Erik said.

"You was already our High Priestess, but it's nice they made it official." Kramisha said with a nice smile.

"I don't want him in my class." Dragon cut in. Ass.

"I think you're right." Stevie Rae said. It kinda threw me off guard that she was agreeing with this asshole. "I know this is hard for you, Dragon. How 'bout I ask Darius and Stark to teach some extra classes on knife stuff and whatnot? Rephaim can take those classes."

"That is actually a good idea." Lenobia said. "As every fledgling must take some sort of self-defense class, with the unexpected addition of the red fledglings your classes will be overfilled."

"Yeah, we was supposed to be dead. Bein' undead will screw up class size for sure." Kramisha said.

Neferet sighed heavily. "Every fledgling must take a self-defense class because of the attack of the Raven Mockers. Am I the only one who sees the terrible irony in what all of you are saying?"

"I see it-and more." Dragon added.

"There are other dangers besides the Raven Mockers." I butted in. "Hell, I don't think we need to worry as much about the Raven Mockers when the veil is collapsing. There are other and possibly worse dangers than a few half-breeds."

Skye chirped and licked my fingertips. I tickled under her chin.

Neferet just stood there and studied me. I glared at her.

"Duantia decided Rephaim and the rest of us can stay." Zoey said. "I think what we need to do is to figure out a way we can do that without causing a bunch of stress and trouble."

Skye gently bite my fingers and warbled at me. She put an image of a bush in my head.

I frowned. "What?"

She warbled and sorta of danced around.

Wait, bush + potty dance = pee break.

"Um, Skye and I need to go take care of some business." I said. "Really sorry, but we really need to go." I picked up Skye and gave a bow to everyone before I ran out of the room. Snap yowled at me and tore after me.

"Next time, we need to take care of this business before council meetings." I muttered at her. She was squirming in my hands and she warbled at me.

I walked over to the outer wall and sorta of tossed Skye into some bushes. She scurried deep into the bushes.

I blew my bangs out of my face. I rubbed the back of my neck as I began pacing.

_"You worry too much."_ Snap said.

"I worry too much?" I asked. "The world is falling apart and I worry too much?"

_"The world has fallen apart many times before and the creatures of this world have managed to pull through." _Snap said washing her ear.

I blew out my cheeks. Was it a cat thing or was my cat just so cynical?

Warriors suddenly burst past me. I frowned at them and grabbed one of them by the arm.

"What's going on?" I asked.

He looked at me a bit startled and he blurted out: "Dragon's called us. There's danger."

I didn't waste any time charging after him. My bet it was probably Raven Mockers, which I means I need to get my ass there fast before Dragon's slaughters them, but I should probably also get my ass there just in case it's an immortal beast running rampant.

My first guess was the right one. Three Raven Mockers were fighting with the Sons of Erebus while Rephaim was yelling at everyone to calm down. I began calling up my powers when that damn bitch's voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Aurox! Protect! Destory!"

A guy-ish blur shot out from the wall and right into the thick of the battle. He came up behind one of the Raven Mockers and _tore its wings off!_

My stomach clenched and my heart began pounding as a sick feeling made its way up my throat. People began pausing to gawk as the guy shifted and began changing to a minotaur.

It roared and began to descend on the writhing Raven Mocker.

` "NO!" I screamed still charging at it. The cry came out a little bestial and I felt the sensation of pins and needles rushing through my body.

In mid-stride the panther burst forth. The creature whipped around to face me as my paws crashed into its chest.

He began to fall and I dug my teeth and claws into his skin as we rolled across the ground me spitting and snarling all the way.

He roared again and got a good blow to my ribs that knocked me off of him. I landed neatly on four paws and crouched down. I snarled baring my teeth. My eyes were trained on his horns and hooves, which were the most dangerous parts of this minotaur thing.

"Back off!" I warned.

It stared at me and I hissed again. My tail lashed back and forth as I waited for it to charge. My entire focus was on this creature (save for the small part that was yelling at me: 'we just got unstuck and you've changed back?') but I still heard Rephaim's startled gasp: "Raven."

Yep, sorry bro, your baby sister just went from slightly pissed off half-breed to fucking pissed off panther.

It charged at me. I nimbly shot to the side when it got close enough and then leaped up to dig my fangs into its shoulder. It swiped at me with curled talons. I leaped off only to leap onto its back and tear its skin to shreds.

It roared and dropped to the ground. I wasn't fast enough and he rolled over on top of me, crushing the breath right out of me, which only pissed me off more.

He grabbed me by my scruff and threw me away. I twisted in the air and righted myself, but when I landed he was already charging at me again and this time I didn't think I would have enough time to get out of its way.

Something huge and black came out from nowhere and rammed into it with her huge body. She gave a vicious battle cry and hit him hard with her hooves. It roared at her and swiped at her with its talons. She backed off with a bite in his direction. Her ears were back and the whites of her eyes were showing.

I began stalking it. Its head swiveled between me and Hecate. I saw a small silver blur shoot out from the crowd and latched onto its thigh.

It snarled at her and then tossed her hard onto the ground.

I didn't think, other than the thought that this mother f-er needed to fucking die! As soon as he touched her I shed the panther. My elements throbbed around me feeding off my fury that he had the gall to not only attack and harm my brothers,_ but _also harm _my _hatchling! I was past fucking pissed off. I have no idea what the next stage is, but I was there!

I held out both my hands and a beam of light and darkness shot out from me with such force I skidded backwards a bit. The two beams twisted around one another before finally plowing that god damn bastard right through the wall.

I eased off the laser shooting and saw that the bricks were covered in what looked like soot and glitter. My arms and chest were smoking, although I'm sure how because neither darkness or light actually burns, and sparks of darkness and light were making popping sounds around me.

It got up and stared stupidly at me.

"Don't you _dare _harm anyone under _my _protection again!" I shouted. I could feel my teeth lengthen as I bared them at him. My wings were spread and I was crouched down ready to spring at him if he moved again.

Snap and Skye stood on either side of me and Hecate was right behind me. So I guess the plan was Snap and Skye go for the legs, Hecate the chest, and I would fly up and kick his face in.

We didn't need to do anything because the tree nearby brought a huge branch down and trapped the thing with a hand shaped branch.

The trunk of the tree twisted and a face appeared.

"You shall not harm the mediator." He said.

His trunk kept twisting so that he looked like…dammit what were those tree things from Lord of the Rings called? Gah! It's going to bug me all day now until I remember.

"Enough of this!" Neferet said. "Aurox is not the enemy here. Release him immediately."

Of course now she's being all High Priestess since her creature was in timeout.

The tree turned to look at Neferet with glowing green eyes. "I do not listen to a-" Then he called some name in some strange language that sorta sounded like a song. "This half-breed has been marked by the Fae and she is under our protection."

An Ent! That's what they were called!

Skye warbled at me. I picked her up and the golden glow appeared to make sure she was okay. She chirped and climbed onto my shoulders to press her head against under my chin. She did her happy dragon noise.

I marched over to the Raven Mockers to help heal the one whose wings got ripped off. I didn't know if I could give him back his wings, but I could at least stop the bleeding.

I put my arms around his and helped him up. My golden healing flames curled around him and he sighed as his pain was eased.

"Raven." Neferet said.

I glared at her. "What? He's hurt and I can help heal him."

"I forbid-"

"_You _don't tell me what to do." I said. Every muscle in my body tensed I was more than prepared to spring out at her. "You are not Divine. I do not and _will _not ever obey you!"

My power did something really weird. I mean it was doing the aura thing and spark thing, but there was also the fact I now had black and glowing white veins. Really weird, I know.

I put my hand on his back and the golden fire curled down the wing scars. I turned to the ripped off wings. I held my palm out. White, black, green, blue, and gold tendrils curled out and somehow dissolved the wings into small particles. I took my hand away and the wing particles condescend to give him back his wings.

"Well, that's new." I said. My body felt a little weird, like faint-ish weird. I probably pushed myself too far.

Whoops.

"You guys should probably get out of here. It's not half-breed friendly here." I told them. They sorta were staring at me weird. "Go home."

"They should be killed." Dragon spat.

"Why? Are they attacking you?" I had my wings partially unfurled and the aura grew.

The other Warriors took a cautionary step back, but Dragon didn't care.

"They're abominations of nature." Neferet said.

My tattoos throbbed and their magic's color joined the dark and light until I was a sparkling rainbow person with my hair curling around me with tendrils trailing off the strands making my hair ten times longer. The Raven Mockers hissed in fear.

"Do not speak to us about abominations of Nature-." My voice was magnified and it was multiplied by other voices, but it was so mixed up I wasn't sure if they were all female or male and I also said whatever name the tree had called her. I would have to ask him later what it meant, although I had a feeling it wasn't a compliment.

I turned to the Raven Mockers. "Go now." I was still speaking in my Super Raven voice.

Two of them took off quickly, but the one I healed hesitated before taking off with his brothers.

I felt my power draw itself back into my core.

"Shit Raven." Aphrodite said. "Go fucking Nature on their asses why don't you?"

Surprisingly my strength returned. It was like whoever those voices were had given me some of their strength.

"Well, that was weird." I said. I looked at my hand and the veins were gone.

"Raven," Neferet said. "Release Aurox."

"I'm not the one who felt the need to restrain him." I pointed to the tree. "Ask him."

"Only if he swears to attack no more." The tree said.

"Aurox, the battle is over. There is no need to protect or attack." She turned to me and continued to ignore the Fae. "Release him."

I turned to the creature trapped in the branches. "I want you to tell me you won't attack again."

"I will not attack." It answered.

The tree lifted his hand and instead of a minotaur stood a guy. The problem was he was too perfect looking. I mean, he looked like an immortal. No blemishes, freckles. He was far too prefect looking to be mortal.

Skye growled. I scratched her horns.

"He's not human." I mumbled.

"He's Old Magick." Zoey said.

"This time you are correct, Zoey." Neferet said. She stood beside the guy and then turned the House of Night. "House of Night, this is Aurox-the gift Nyx gave e proving her forgiveness."

How can she continue to get away with her crap? How come no one, but us dorks see past her shit?

Aurox stepped forward and bowed to us. My skin prickled. There was something…weird about him and I'm not talking about the perfectness he possesses. There something really bad about him, but something good hidden deep inside all the badness was there too.

"Where did he really come from?" Zoey asked Neferet.

"I already told you where he came from. And, Zoey, I must this is exactly why you need to be back in school, attending class, and refocusing on studying. I do believe you have lost the ability to listen." Neferet said.

I want to kill her. Just…gah! I hadn't stupid, controlling, manipulative, cruel bitches! Just curl up in a hole and shrivel up and die.

"You said he's old magick. The only old magick I know of is on the Island of Skye." Zoey said. "Are you telling me he came from the Isle of Skye?"

"Silly child, old magick isn't restricted to an island. You know, you might think twice about believing everything you hear, especially when it's coming from a vampyre who calls herself Queen and hasn't left an island in centuries."

"And you still haven't answered my question. Where did he come from?"

"What magick could be older than that which from the Goddess herself? Aurox is my gift from Nyx!"

The tree's leaves rustled. "I do not believe you are fooling anyone by passing this creature off as Divine given."

She ignored the Fae.

"Aurox is the Guardian of the House of Night." She sneered at Zoey. "You didn't think you were the only one worthy of a Guardian, did you?" She spread out her arms. "We all are! Come, greet him, and then let us get back to class and to that on which the House of Night was founded, the business of learning."

I needed a wall to pound my head into. Or maybe hers. It was like talking to a wall. She never really listened except to anything that might be easy for her to manipulate.

The fleglings eagerly fled up to him. The Fae moved away closer to us.

"Do not fret young ones." He said. "Nature can see through her guise as well as the young mediator. You will see, with patience you will have victory against this evil and will restore balance to this world."

"I swear to God, sometimes you guys make me feel like Jesus." I said.

"The Savior of Man restored the balance of this world." The tree sighed. "The ones who restore balance have always had many names and each culture interprets them differently."

I blew my bangs out of my face. Well, at least I know that someone who has been in my position has managed to not completely screw over the world. I guess that has some comfort in it.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Sorry that I'm not creative enough to make up my own Fae language. I do apologize if there's a ton of mistakes. My space bar was acting and Word kept crashing again. XP I think I got Word fixed, but the beginning and middle-ish part of the chapter might still have some mistakes I didn't catch, which I do apologize for.


	6. Chapter Five

"Why are you an Ent?" I asked.

"An Ent?" The tree said.

"Why are you still tree-ish?" I asked. "The other tree spirits I've met have wings and look…human-ish."

His leaves rustled. "Do you think it's easy for a tree my age to present myself as a fleshie?"

I was sitting on top of the wall with Skye and Snap. The others had vamoosed to their classes and I decided to question the Ent.

"Do you know what was up with the vein stuff?"

"The elements of darkness and light differ from that of the vampyre's five basic ones." The Ent said. "Surely you have realized that the elements do not depart as your friend's elements do."

I had noticed. Even today the elements had curled up inside of me rather than disappearing. It was weird.

"Are you saying that…I'm made of the elements?" I asked.

"Every being is made from all seven of the elements. Earth for body, water for blood, air for breath, fire for heart, and spirit for thought."

"What about light and darkness?" I asked.

"They fill us with purpose. Combining both knowledge and change." The Ent said.

"So I'm throwing around my purpose?" I asked.

"In a way." He sighed.

I scratched Snap's ears. I felt like I missing something important. But I honestly couldn't think what it was.

"You are digging into the deepest part of your being. Digging into the elements that make up your very being to protect yourself and those you deem worthy of your protection. That is why your darkness is more powerful than the Tsi Sgili."

I felt like I really shouldn't be throwing my elements around anymore. It was just…I mean, it just sounded really dangerous. What if I ran out of purpose because I tried to kill Damascus?

"What about that multi and magnified voice I used?" I asked. "Were like the other spirits of them mediators speaking through me?" The mediator sorta sounded like the Avatar from the Last Airbender and that voice thing reminded me of when Aang got pissed and went into the Avatar sight. Great, I'm the frickin' Avatar of this world. I just hope there's not a fire nation who wants me dead really badly.

Oh and hey, we've got an Airbender, Firebender, Earthbender, and Waterbender! Cool! I love that frickin' show.

"The forces of Nature spoke through you." The Ent said. "You are our voice and Champion."

I huffed. I was starting to feel a bit like a pawn.

_"If we're going to speak in terms of chess, you are not a pawn, but a queen." _Snap said. _"Your king, the one you protect, is the balance."_

_ "I always hated chess."_

I hugged my knees to my chest and stared up at the sky. The star twinkled in an infinite dance and the moon shone brightly. It made me feel so insignificant. It was all so vast and I was just one person, mediator or not I was indeed very small in the grand scale of things.

"What's your name?" I asked the tree.

He was quiet and looked at me with glowing green eyes. "We Fae do not give one another names. It is a mortal thing." He sighed. "We have not been given names since we all retreated into hiding."

"Why did you all hide?" I asked.

He sighed again. "Too much war, cruelty, and suffering." His eyes held depths of sadness and infinite years.

"Mortals are selfish and a bit stupid." I said.

"It was not mortals alone." The tree said. "The Immortals that came here long ago placed a great seed of distrust in vampyres and humans with old magic. For the very first time I believe they realized the depth of the power we ancients ones held."

"So they banished the immortals and you all went into hiding."

"The mortals may not remember, but they did as much harm and cruelty to us as the Immortals did to them." He turned to me. "Do you know why the mediators are no longer around?"

"I thought it was because the Immortals were banished and we were no longer needed." I said.

"The mediators were a part of the balance of this world long before the Immortals learned to travel between realms." He said. There was even more sadness in his eyes. "The mortals killed all the mediators. Burned them."

I shivered. I don't care what you say burning to death is a horrible way to go.

"It deeply hurt us. Not the deaths of other Fae or innocent Immortal younglings. But hurting the one creature who above all only wants to promote peace and tolerance between races, the one creature filled with our magic and spirit as well as many other kinds of strength and magic. It hurt all Fae and many others to our core."

I chewed my tongue. I guess I should really try and make sure not to die and send the trees and water back into hiding.

"Nettlebrit." He said. "I was once called Nettlebrit."

"I'm glad you're on my side Nettlebrit." I said honestly.

He turned his head away. "I must take my leave of you, young mediator. I'm afraid it's been so long since I've been like this I have exhausted myself."

"See you Nettlebrit." I said waving.

He gave me a nod with his big, barky head and began walking back to where he was before.

I sighed again. I fell back onto the wall.

Skye chirped and climbed onto my chest. She nuzzled my hands and I stroked her head.

"I just don't understand, Skye." I mumbled. "How can they put so much faith in me? I haven't done anything to prove that I'm the right choice to for mediatorship." I sighed again. "How can they be so sure that I can stand up to Damascus? To stand up to any Immortal who threatens this world?"

Skye nipped at my fingers. I tickled her chin.

_"Don't have such little faith about yourself, Raven. I've seen your strength and your courage: Damascus does not stand a chance nor anyone one else who threatens your love ones."_

I bolted straight up with Skye screeching and clinging to my shirt. My heart pounded and I looked around for him.

He wouldn't dare. Why would he show up?

I felt a gentle caress up my arm and across my shoulders. I whipped my head around, but only saw a shadow thing that lazily curled away.

It couldn't have been a normal shadow because there was no one else around especially not a certain purple eyed, dark haired and winged Immortal.

The scars on my heart began festering again. I rubbed my breastbone. How could he cause me so much pain?

_"You may not like this, especially now." _Snap began. _"But, that Immortal's Fate as well as your own are deeply entwined. I can see it very plainly. There is a link of spiritual matter that binds you two together."_

"Your right, I don't like it." I hopped down from the wall. Skye chittered angrily. I opened my arms. After a moment of debate, she jumped down.

_"You can't fight Fate, Raven. Cruel the Fates may seem, but they never do anything without purpose. There is a reason you two are spiritual bonded. You will see." _ She hopped down and walked away towards the stables.

"I don't want to be spiritual bond to that…that." I heaved an angry sigh and began stalking off in the opposite direction.

Skye chirped at me and gave me her questioning feeling. She put the image of the shadow and a raven together. There was a strong, brightly shining red-pink-purpish, sorta of like the colors of the sunset mixed as one color, string between them.

"So you can see it too?" I asked sadly.

She cooed. I felt her stomach grumble. She warbled at me.

"Well then, let's hope the kitchen as some meat and milk." I said glad to get off topic of me being spiritually bonded to that jerkface.

I had no idea where the kitchens where. I found the grouchy tabby with the orange spot on her head who had helped me before.

_"I'm really sorry to bother you, could you tell me where the kitchen is?" _I asked.

She grumbled, but did give me directions. I knocked on the kitchen doors.

A woman opened the door. She had a striking tattoo with some really strange looking symbols. It was sort of distracting because I was sure I had seen them before, but couldn't quite remember.

"Yes."

"I hate to disturb you, but my hatchling is hungry and I was wondering if I could pop in here and fix her something."

She stared at Skye like she couldn't really believe it.

"Yes, yes of course." She said. She opened the door wide.

"Thank you." I said walking in.

There was a lot of shining stuff, which I kinda have assumed with vampyre's liking older things that they might have stone ovens and such, and scary looking kitchen equipment.

The other cooks stared at me in wonder.

"What do you need?" She asked.

"Some meat and milk." I said. Skye slid off my shoulders and sniffed some of the equipment on the counter. "I'll also need a pot and a baby's bottle type of thing."

The staff eagerly got me what I ask. I guess it helps that Skye began whining at me and I'm sure that didn't exactly want to angry hatchling to roaming around. She was starting to sneeze again and sparks were flying from her nose and from in between her teeth. But they were small and wouldn't catch anything on fire unless it really wanted to be caught on fire.

I poured the milk into the pot and began slicing up the meat into small cubes. I tossed the cubes into the pot.

"My I ask why you are doing this?" The head cook asked.

"I don't know. It just sorta came to me." I said. Skye chirped and peered into the pot. "Patience." I tapped her on the nose. She shook her head and looked at me.

"What? You need some patience little one." I told her.

She warbled at me. I tickled under her chin and she snapped playfully at my fingers. I reached out and yanked gently on her tail. She clasped my forearm in her paws and put her teeth around my arm. She didn't bite and draw blood. I tickled her belly while I stirred her meat and milk concoction.

She licked where she had bit me with her purple tongue. It tickled and made me giggle softly.

"She seems very attached to you." The head cook mused.

"Yeah, I know. I mean, I'm probably the best chance she has at surviving." I said. I scooped the meat out and put it onto a plate. I poured the liquid into the bottle they had given me and put the nipple on. The bottle and the nipple looked like one of the bottles I've seen farmers use to feed calves.

I hoped the rubber was strong enough to withstand her teeth.

I took the plate and bottle and sat cross legged on the floor out of the way of the cooks. Skye hopped down and willingly crawled into my lap. She clasped the suckle in her mouth and eagerly drank the meat flavored milk.

That warm motherly feeling enveloped me again and I honestly could care less if the kitchen burst into flames.

Like the first time after she was finished she gave a manly dragon belch. I chuckled and began offering her the cubes of meat. Again, she was so spoiled she wouldn't eat it unless I hand fed it to her.

Her mouth cracked open in a huge yawn and she snuggled up against me purring. I curled my arm around her and put the dishes I used in the sink.

"I'll get that. You go on." The cook said.

"Thank you again." I said waving before slipping out with my napping dragon.

I blew my bangs out of my face. I began walking down the pathway trying not to think too hard about much of anything.

I sorta danced across the sidewalk (I'm dork, sue me) while I was trying not to think and at the same time trying to figure out to do.

I mean, it felt like I got pushed into the hole and now someone was just throwing down things that were trying to bury me. Come on, I found I'm Kalona's daughter and the only kid of his who looks normal-ish, then I found out I have great powers, then I get stuck as a panther because my parents were dead, then I had to help Zoey and found out in the process that an Immortal was after me, then the Fae marked me as the new mediator, then we came back because Jack died because Neferet's a vicious bitch, then I found out that Dominic was Damascus heir, then Damascus wants me to help him find a Key to unleash some pissed off Immortals onto the world, and _then _I find out that I'm spiritual bonded to that jerkface.

Boy, for not trying to think I did do a lot of thinking or stress ranting.

"I really don't think it's health for me to keep getting this stressed out." I muttered. I put an arm behind my head and stretched my arm. Everything was tense. I should probably take up yoga or go back to Pilates. Or maybe I should do something that kicks more butt like kickboxing.

"Excuse me." I jumped.

That Aurox kid was behind me. All the muscles in my body tensed immediately.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" He asked.

I pointed at my forehead. "Not a vampyre." I stroked Skye as she twitched in her sleep. "Never was and never will be." I took a deep breath. "I guess I'm sorta sorry that I attacked you so violently."

He blinked.

"I honestly should have used darkness or light to restrict you rather than digging my claws and teeth into your flesh." I said. "I just got pissed when you were picking on my brothers. Well, actually I got pissed when Neferet told you to destroy them." I shifted Skye around.

"Do you protect them?" He asked.

"They're my brothers. Yeah, they've made some shitty choices, but they're still my family and I'm going to let them live so they have a chance to fix their lives." I admitted. Not sure why I was being so honest with this kid. Maybe I wanted a message sent to Neferet. Who knows.

He blinked slowly again.

"Well," I said after an awkward moment or two. "I've got to check on my mare. Bye."

I turned and began walking towards the stables with my back prickling the whole way. I actually let a relieved breath once I was in the safety of the stables. I inhaled the warm scent of hay and horsey smells.

I walked around the other kids and slipped into Hecate's stall.

"Hey you pretty girl." I set Skye down in a clump of hay in the corner that didn't look used. She didn't stir and let out a small dragon snore.

I rubbed my hands down her spine. Lenobia had checked her out for and told me she hadn't been hurt, but I needed to check her for myself.

She nosed at me. "_Stop worrying."_

_ "People keep telling to stop worrying and it hasn't stopped me yet." _I said.

She snorted and shook her head.

I put my golden glowing hands on her. She flicked her ears and she honestly sighed.

"Kay, now I can stop worrying." I said.

She snorted and nipped at me in a scolding manner. I shoved her gently. She nipped at me again and tossed her head.

I giggled and rubbed her nose and kissed it.

No matter what happens, animals always make you smile and give you warm fuzzies all over.

"You should go for a ride." Lenobia said scaring the shit outta me.

"Crappies, please don't do that again." I said.

She gave me soft smile. "The mare really cares for you."

"Yeah, she's a burger though. She shouldn't have recklessly charged into that fight."

Hecate snorted. _"You have no room to talk."_

"I have magical powers and I'm half-immortal, you're just a horse."

She snorted again and flicked her ears.

I stepped out of the stall with the Friesian following me at my heels. I peeked at Skye, but she was deep asleep and probably wouldn't wake until I got back. Or at least, I hope she wouldn't. I'm sure Lenobia could handle her. She was just a baby and only the size of an adult cat. I'm ninety-five percent sure that she can handle Skye.

I scrambled up onto Hecate's broad back and wrapped my fingers around her mane. I nudged her sides with my heels and she broke into a trot.

I felt like I had been transported back in time. I'm not sure if it's just Hecate, her breed, or horses in general, but she was just so elegant and I felt like I should wearing a dress with a twenty feet skirt and super long sleeves. I honestly felt like I should be princess waving to everyone.

I heart horses.

I threw my arms out and soaked up the night. I was honestly content with pretending like I was just a ditzy princess who didn't have to do anything, but marrying some guy my parents picked for me and if I don't like him I'll just…what do real life princesses do if they don't like the guy their parents picked out for them to marry?

There was a loud, sharp wail that literally made me shit my pants. My heart stopped and I whirled around looking for the source even though I'm ninety-five percent who was making that noise. Hecate shielded and her ears swiveled around.

I leapt off her back and began half-gliding half-running back towards the stables. Dragon, Aurox, and some other Warriors were gathering around the door where the almost horrendous noise was coming from.

One of the Warriors opened the door and a silver blur shot out and tackled me to the ground. She warbled at me and rubbed her chin over my face.

"Gods, Skye!" I shouted. "You sounded like you were being skinned alive."

She looked at me cooing softly.

I sighed and thump my head onto the ground. Skye purred and tucked her head under my chin. I rolled my eyes and sat up.

"False alarm." I said standing up. Skye curled up in my arms just as content as can be. "Gods you're annoying."

Lenobia and Zoey stood in the doorway.

"Sorry, she woke-up and had a major melt down because she couldn't find you." Zoey said.

"It's my fault. I really thought she would stay asleep until I got back." I said. "I also didn't expect the massive freak out." I stroked her spine.

Hecate trotted up. Skye stretched out her neck and sniffed the big black mare. Hecate sniffed the little sliver hatchling. Skye sneezed and little sparks flew from her nose. Hecate snorted and flicked her head.

_"I'm glad she's your responsibility and not mine." _She said walking into the stables.

I blew the bangs out of my face. "Sometimes I'm not." I clutched Skye to my chest though and followed the horse into the stable.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter uploaded. It's getting close to the end of the year and I'm having some serious laziness issues. XP only 3 more weeks and then I'm free.


	7. Chapter Six

"What do you know about this Aurox boy?" Lenobia asked.

I glanced up at Lenobia before putting my chin back onto my folded arms while I watched Zoey brush Persephone. I was trying, once again, to not think. Again, not working out too well because I had been doing a lot of depressive thinking.

I wonder if antidepressants work on half-breeds?

"Nothing except that I can promise you he's not just a boy." Zoey said.

"I thought he was a minotaur first, but then he changed into that way too prefect looking boy." I said.

Zoey and Lenobia looked at me.

"What? I've been having a bit of a problem with prefect looking people lately." I said. Skye nudged my calf. I reached down and scratched her head. "You can't blame me for being a little weirded out by way too prefect looking people."

Hecate nibbled the hem of my shirt. I scratched in between her eyes. She nickered softly.

"I don't believe he is an immortal." Lenobia said. "The word that he's a shape shifter is already spreading across campus."

"Maybe I could ask a tree or water spirit what he is. They probably know." I said.

"What was up with the Ent before?" Zoey asked.

"It was an older Fae. He said it's not as easy for a tree his age to look like a fleshie." I said.

"Fleshie?"

"I guess it's tree term for our kind." I said. "I swear I have a gazillion words for humans/vampyres." I sighed.

Skye nibbled on my fingers and I scratched her wing base. She rubbed head against my hand and purred.

"I can't believe she purrs." Zoey said.

"Did you know that dragons are breast feeders too?" I said.

"That's really weird." Zoey said.

"Why do myths always keep the violent or stupid shit, but never those interesting facts?" I asked. "Or guess the technically accurate facts."

"Do you have a plan for when she grows up?" Lenobia asked.

"Make sure she doesn't eat people?" I said.

Lenobia frowned at me.

"What? I think that it's majorly important that she doesn't eat people." I said. I sighed. "I don't know. I have no idea what's going to happen between now and Skye growing up." I tickled her head.

Lenobia scratched under Skye's chin. "I suppose that is a smart plan."

"Speaking of plans, what are we going to do about Queen Bitch?" I asked.

"I feel like a moron." Zoey mumbled almost out of nowhere. "I made a completely fool of myself in front of most of the school. Again."

"I think they're the fools because they aren't seeing the truth in your words at all." I suggested.

"Why do you feel so ashamed?" Lenobia also chastised. "You know better than anyone how dangerously manipulative Neferet can be, but I don't think you should have confronted her publicly like that."

"What? Is she just supposed to sit there quietly and do nothing?" I asked.

"No. What she needs to do is to play down her reaction to Aurox, maybe even to her closest friends." She looked at Zoey. "Keep what you're feeling to yourself. Put on your poker face."

"Poker face? Sorry, I only know how to play Candyland."

"It means to keep your reaction to what you're seeing and how you feel about it secret from everyone watching you."

"Why?" Zoey asked looking really interested.

"I learned young that evil sometimes likes to be bragged about, even when it would be best if it kept a low profile. It has been my experience that Darkness's true struggle isn't against Light and the strength of love and truth and loyalty. I think evil's greatest threat comes from its own pride and arrogance and greed. I've yet to see a bully who doesn't gloat, or a thief who doesn't brag. That's why they get caught. Darkness could get a lot more of its destructive work accomplished if it was more, shall we say, _circumspect."_

I blew my bangs out of my face. "I really wish the ancients hadn't called those bulls by their element. That's probably why people are afraid of every kind of darkness and also why they aren't a little bit cautious with all the light."

"But light is good." Zoey said looking confused.

I shook my head. "If you think about it, light is even more destructive and harmful than darkness. Look at that hole in the wall that I made! It's just like all the other elements it can be used for both good and evil. That's why I can use both of them without destroying myself." Skye tugged on my wings because I stopped paying attention to her. "I've told you." I picked her up. "I haven't had you long enough for you to be so spoiled."

She cooed and rubbed her head against my chin. I kissed her forehead.

"I guess I see Lenobia's point." I said. "Evil likes attention. It's like those stupid bitches at school who are just bratty and throw tantrums just so people will pay attention to them. Neferet actually reminds me a lot of a those fake, spoiled, and selfish bitches from school."

"I get it." Zoey said as she swept the brush over Persephone's slick side. She took a deep breath like she was going to tell us something majorly important. "From the second I saw Aurox my seer stone got hot. The only times that's happened has been when old magick has been present." She paused and then continued. "Last night I looked through the seer stone and saw something weird around Stark. It kinda freaked me out."

"What did Stark say about it?"

"I, uh, haven't told him."

"He probably would want to know about the creepy thing hanging around him." I said. "He is your Guardian after all." I said. Skye climbed onto my shoulders and curled her neck and tail around my neck like she was a dragon scarf.

"Well, first because I got distracted by him." She started to blush a bit.

"Um, ew." Was all I said.

"And since I don't know why I haven't said anything." She paused again. "No, wait, I do know why. Ever since the whole Otherworld thing haven't been the same between Stark and me. Some of that's good-we're really close most of the time. But some of it's weird too."

Lenobia nodded. "That's understandable. An experience the magnitude of what you two went through should change the dynamics of the relationship. And glimpsing some of the old magick attached to Stark could simply be a remnant of his time in the Otherworld. I imagine if you could look through the seer stone at yourself or young Raven you might see-"

Oh, hell no!" Zoey said. "I don't want to see anything hanging around me!"

I shrugged. "I'm not expecting anything major with me so I gots no problem with its." I glanced at my tattoos. What would show up? Maybe something majorly scary was hanging around me. Who knows, maybe there's a shadow of a Raven Mocker hiding inside of me.

Lenobia looked at Zoey. "You sound frightened."

"I'm freaked out, that's for sure. I think I've had enough of old magick and the Otherworld and all that goes with that stuff for a good long while."

"I better leave then." I said. "And I'm taking my cute dragon with me."

"You and the cute dragon can stay, Raven." Zoey sighed.

"If you're sure because I'll attract old magick like an old magick bug zapper." I said. "Let's pray I don't attract Godzilla or something."

"Is Godzilla old magick?" Zoey asked.

"It's a giant lizard thing. I guess so." I said. Skye rubbed her head under my chin and I tickled her neck until she licked my fingers.

Zoey rubbed her head. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired."

"We all deserve a Hawaiian vacation after this." I mumbled. "And lots and lots of Swedish massages."

Skye chirped.

"Chocolate could work right now though." I said. I sighed. "I vote tomorrow we skip school and stay home to gorge on fats, sugar, and comfort foods while watching old Disney movies."

"You do realize that I am, in a fact, a professor of this school."

I had actually kinda forgot because a horse teacher is something you don't come across often at a "high school."

"You can turn us in if you want. Neferet can't do shit about it and can honestly kiss my tiny ass." I said. Actually the thought of pissing off Neferet by showing she can't even control me going to school or not was just a little appealing.

"You shouldn't go picking fights." Lenobia said.

"I'm not. Technically she is because me skipping school shouldn't be a big deal. I am eighteen and I'm no longer a minor so I don't have to continue my education anymore." I said. Which felt kinda of weird because for as long as I can remember I've been in school learning some shit society felt necessary to cram into my brain.

"Surely we can help you with being a mediator." Lenobia said.

"To be honest, I probably could use an Immortal teacher." I said slowly.

They both shared a quick look. "I'm sure Rephaim will do for now."

My thoughts had drifted over to Dominic. He would be probably be more than willing to help out. The scars burned again and I rubbed my breastbone. Was it because we were spiritual bonded that it hurt so badly to know he was my enemy?

"Hey y'all," Stevie Rae said skipping into view. "What are y'all talking about?"

"Where we're going to vacation after this is all over." I said.

"I vote somewhere warm and quiet." Stevie Rae said.

"I changed my mind. Let's go to Rome!" I said.

Everyone chuckled.

"I actually came in here to get ya, Lenobia, cuz you're cowboy is here."

"_My _cowboy?" Lenobia said looking more than a little confused. "I don't have a cowboy."

"Well, he has to be yours 'cause he just showed up outside the central entrance with a giant horse trailer sayin' he's reportin' for work and askin' where he can unload his stuff."

I frowned. What?

Lenobia gave a long sigh. "Neferet. This is her doing. He's the first of the local humans she's hired."

"I do not get what Neferet's up to," Steve Rae said. "I know dang well she hates humans and doesn't give a rat's ass about whether the local folks like us bein' here or not."

"She's just being a bitch." I said. "And causing problems for attention."

"Attention?" Stevie Rae asked.

"We'll discuss it later." Lenobia said. "Let us give this cowboy a warm welcome and show him how downright boring working at my stables can be. Perhaps then he'll move to more exciting pastures and Neferet will turn her attention elsewhere."

I think she was being just a little too hopeful.

"Raven, I would like you to stay hidden. You and Skye both."

"Fine." I said tickling the hatchling's chin.

Lenobia marched towards the central entrance of the stables.

"You think she would want to use you to scare him away." Stevie Rae said.

"I want to try something." I said excitedly. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought to try it out before.

"What?" Zoey asked looking confused.

"Light and darkness could you please hide my wings so I look human? Oh, and hide Skye too please."

Light and darkness clung to my wings and hatchling like stars and stayed there. I frowned. Well, that didn't work.

"Ohmygoddess." Stevie Rae said. "They're gone!"

I spread them and fanned them, causing little dust clouds to stir.

"They're still there, but you just can't see them." Zoey said.

"Cool!" I said. Granted I would have to be careful about people brushing alongside me and all, but otherwise I could hang out with the mass populous.

"Come on." Zoey said. "I'm not gonna to miss this."

Stevie Rae linked arms with us as she Wizard of Oz-ed us after Lenobia.

"What I didn't tell Lenobia is how dang cute her cowboy is," She whispered to us.

"Did you think that would help protect him?" I asked.

"Seriously." Zoey said.

"Just ya'all wait and see." Stevie Rae said.

We marched through the arena. Stevie Rae tried to blow Rephaim a kiss, but Zoey continued to yank us forward. He smiled at her and then did a double take at me. I just smiled and waved.

"There, that's him. The tall, non-vampyre in a cowboy hat over there by the door." Stevie Rae said pointing at the large, sliding barn doors. I could see a huge horse trailer parked just outside hitched to one of those huge trucks with a guy in cowboy garb standing beside it. Skye gave a small yelp and burrowed her nose into the back of my neck.

"It's okay." I murmured and I stroked her spine.

And I guess the cowboy was kinda cute. But he wasn't my type. I wonder if the spiritual bond thing just put a blindfold on me when it came to other males.

That's so unfair! What? Don't I get a choice on whether or not I want to love him or not?

"He looks like someone who should be on the Western Channel." Zoey said. "Playing one of those olden-day cowboy heros."

"Sam Elliot, that's who he looks like." Stevie Rae said.

I didn't watch many Westerns so I had no idea who she was talking about.

"Huh?" Apparently neither did Zoey.

"He was in a bunch of cowboy movies. You know, like _Tombstone."_ Stevie Rae said.

"_Tombstone?" _I asked.

"It's a really good movie. It's has that famous shoot out at the O.K. Corral." She gushed.

"What about the O.K. Corral?" Aphrodite asked.

Zoey and Stevie Rae jumped. I gave her a little wave. She frowned at me.

"Where did your wings go?"

"I'm using my elements to shield them from prying eyes." I said nodding at the cowboy.

"Ooooh! That's Lenobia's…"

"Employee." Zoey said. "He's supposed to be working for Lenobia."

"He's hot." Of course she would comment on his looks. "Not like Darius hot, but still. H.O.T."

"I told y'all. And he's so tall he makes Lenobia look even teenier than she is." Stevie Rae said.

He did look like a giant compared to Lenobia.

"Howdy, ma'am. I'm the new stable manager. I'd 'preciate it if you could point me to the man in charge." The cowboy said with a prefect Oklahoma twang.

Oh God! I couldn't see Lenobia's face, but the storm clouds gathering around her where enough.

This is was going to be good.

"Uh-oh." Stevie Rae said. Evidently I wasn't the only one who thought this was going to be good. I mean Lenobia was short, but I'm pretty sure she could kick this giant's ass easy-peasy.

"So much for the whole warm welcome thing." Zoey added.

"John Wayne just totally fucked up." Aphrodite said.

I smacked her. "F-bomb!"

Her eye narrowed, but then Lenobia spoke and her attention was drawn back to the conflict.

"I am Lenobia." Her voice was icy and had goose bumps prickling along my skin. "I am the _woman _in charge of these stables and your new boss."

"Brr." Aphrodite whispered. "She just reminded me of my mom, and for John Wayne that's not a good thing."

"Sam Elliot." Stevie Rae argued.

Aphrodite frowned at Stevie Rae.

"He doesn't look anything like John Wayne." She hissed. "But he looks _just like _Sam Eilliot."

"Hey, can we argue about this later?" I said. I just knew Aphrodite was going to start cussing again and just because Skye was invisible did not mean she couldn't hear Aphrodite's awful language.

I pointed back at Lenobia and John Wayne/Sam Elliot.

The cowboy tipped his hat to Lenobia again and gave her a nice smile. "Well, ma'am, seems I got me some misinformation. Glad that was cleared up quick. My name is Travis Foster, and I'm please to meet ya, boss lady."

"So he doesn't look like John Wayne or Sam Elliot." I said. "He looks like Travis Foster."

Stevie Rae snorted, but I think it might have been a disguised laugh. Aphrodite gave me a sarcastic looking look.

"You do realize your annoy ass comments-"

"You said ass. That's a cuss word." I said.

She growled. She really did growl at me.

I just gave her a cheesy grin.

"And you don't mind finding out your boss is a lady?" Lenobia said.

"No, ma'am. My momma was a lady-" I snorted and tried not to laugh. Well duh your momma was lady, silly. "and I never worked harder or happier than when I worked for her."

"Mr. Foster, do I remind you of your mother?" Somehow her voice got even colder, but Mr. Travis Foster didn't seem to notice or care because he cocked his hat back and looked down at Lenobia with a grin on his face as he answered her question seriously: "No, ma'am, not yet you don't." The awkwardness levels were making the air thick with tension. Oh boy.

Travis just shrugged and hooked his fingers into his belt loops. "So, Lenobia, could you show me where my mare and I are gonna bunk?"

"Mare? Bunk?" Lenobia echoed.

"This is some great shit. I wish I had popcorn." Aphrodite said.

I just smacked her. I figured she might learn if I physically abused her rather than verbally reprimanding her about the cussing issue around Skye.

"She's gonna burn him with her laser vision." Zoey said.

"Lenobia has laser vision?" Stevie Rae asked.

We all looked at her.

"How 'bout I watch and not talk." Stevie Rae suggested.

"Thank you." Aphrodite and Zoey stereoed. Aphrodite glared at Zoey like she wore the same outfit as her, which would be a major offense in her book.

"Well, ma'am," Travis drawled. "I told y'all's High Priestess when she hired me that my mare and I come as a package deal, and I'd need to stable her here. Since I just wrapped up a season managing the stables at Durant Springs, I'd need a place to lodge, too."

Lenobia just stood there silently.

"Durant Springs is in Colorado, ma'am." He said a bit slowly.

"I know where it is." Lenobia snapped. "What makes you think you can stay here on campus? We have no accommodations for humans."

I frowned. "What are the difference between accommodations for vampyres and humans?"

"Shush." Aphrodite elbowed me.

"You shush!" I snapped back and shoved her. It was a miracle we hadn't been spotted for eavesdropping yet.

"Yes, ma'am, that's what the High Priestess said. Since the job needed to be filled right away. I told her I'd get along just fine bunking with Bonnie until I could find a place nearby."

"Bonnie?"

Travis shifted his hat. For the first time since he showed up, he appeared nervous. "Yes, ma'am. My mare's name is Bonnie." A loud thud came from the trailer. "I'd 'preciate it if ya let me unload her. It's a long way from Colorado for a big girl."

"Do you think his horse is fat?" Stevie Rae asked.

"Bumpking, I thought you weren't going to talk." Aphrodite said.

"I think he just got his foot in the door." Zoey said.

"Yep." I said. No way Lenobia was going to let this Bonnie be turned away in these predawn hours.

"Unload your mare. You and I will discuss your accommodations after she's comfortable." Lenobia said.

He was unloading his mare when Lenobia gave the okay.

"Come on, big girl. Baaack," Travis said in what I was going to say was his horse voice. It was the same as my kitty cat voice, only he didn't baby it like I did.

A huge, dappled gray horse butt came out of the trailer before the rest of Bonnie appeared with Travis holding to her halter. I heard some extra gasps and peered back to see that our group of gawkers had increased.

"That can't be a horse.' Stevie Rae said taking a step back.

"Holy shit. It's a dinosaur." Aphrodite said. She blocked my smack. I lunged at her belly and as she bent over to block it, I smacked her head. "I'm going to smother you in your sleep."

"Good luck." I said.

Zoey sighed. "I'm pretty sure it's a horse. But it's a really big one."

"It's a Percheron." I said.

"Oh, a Percheron! She's exquisite!" Lenobia gushed.

The three girls looked at me.

"What? I like Animal Planet. Sue me." I said.

Everyone suddenly became distracted as Lenobia approached the huge mare so she could sniff her hand. Lenobia smiled wide and suddenly looked like a little school girl. "Oh, you are indeed a bonnie, bonnie girl." She then turned to the cowboy and gushed at him. "I have not seen a Percheron since my voyage from France when I was a girl, and that's more years ago than I care to admit. There was a matched pair of the big beauties on the ship with me. I've remembered them fondly and since have been intrigues by draft horses. She's a lovely dappled gray. I imagine she'll continue to lighten as she gets older. I can tell that she's just turned five a month…"Lenobia paused. "No, she turned five two months ago. She's belonged to you for her entire life, hasn't she?"

I was suddenly majorly curious about Lenobia's past. I mean, she was pretty damn wise for a horse person and exactly how old was she?

Travis blinked and looked confused. He opened his mouth and then closed it. "Well, yes, ma'am." He reached up and held onto Bonnie's neck. "Her momma died right after Bonnie was born-freak lightning strike in the middle of the pasture. I bottle-raised her."

She stared at Travis like she had forgotten he was there. "You did a good job. She's big, easily over eighteen hands. Well muscled. In excellent condition." She said. She turned back to the mare and smiled widely again. She should smile more often. "You are a clever girl, aren't you?" The mare was staring at us as we gawked at her. My golden tattoo on my shoulders buzzed and her head perked up.

What was with these tattoos? I was going to have to ask Zoey if her tattoos ever did weird shit.

"_And _you're confident enough to be well behaved, eve in a curious, new environment." She then looked at Travis and her expression turned icy again. "Well then, that is that. You and Bonnie may follow me. I'll show you where you'll be stabling-the both of you."

Lenobia began striding across the arena. She spotted halfway and turned towards us.

Uh-oh.

"Fledglings and vampyres, this is Travis Foster. He'll be working for me. His mare's name is Bonnie. Show her the respect she deserves as a fine example of the majestic Percheron breed. Warriors, please note her size and the way she carries herself. Her ancestors were warhorses of old."  
>I thought she looked an awfully like those horses painted in Chinese looking paintings.<p>

Travis Foster smiled at Lenobia's comment and patted Bonnie's neck before giving Lenobia an affectionate look.

Oh boy. Things were going to get really interesting.

"And now you can all stop staring and get back to work." She said before marching into the stables with the Percheron and her cowboy trailing after her.

"That has interesting possibilities." Aphrodite said.

I felt a warm puff of air in my ear and turned to see Hecate leaning over my shoulder.

_"Your wings and hatchling have vanished."_

"Only from sight." I willed the sparkles away and my wings returned to normal. Skye sneezed and curled around my neck.

"Zoey." Damien said. He hurried up to us. "There you are. You need to come back to the main building."

"You mean after sixth hour? It's almost over." She said.

"No, honey. I mean now. Your grandma's here, and I'm pretty sure she's been crying."

My heart tightened. What happened? Did I miss something with my unfortunate ability to distract myself?

"Okay, I'm coming." She looked sick. "But I'd appreciate it if you would come with me." She turned us. "You guys, too. 'Kay?"

"Kay." I said back.

Stevie Rae nodded. "I'm in."

Stark came up and weaved his fingers with Zoey's. "Is it about your mom?"

She nodded slowly. Her eyes were starting to look a little too shiny.

"Your momma? I thought Damien said your grandma's here?" Stevie Rae asked looking confused.

"He did." Aphrodite said. She was studying Zoey. "Is it about your mom?"

Stark and Zoey shared a look before she nodded and Stark announced. "Zoey's mom's dead."

My stomach clenched in sympathy.

"Oh no!" Damien said starting to tear up.

"Don't, okay?" She said. "Let's not do this here. I don't want everyone watching me."

Damien pressed his lips tightly together and blinked hard before he nodded.

I looped my arm around hers. She smiled gratefully at me.

"Let's all go see your grandmomma." Stevie Rae said threading her arm through my other arm.

Damien and Aphrodite joined our line. As one we walked out of the arena and towards the main building.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Sorry it took me so long to get this posted. I had a lot of roommate drama and then finals popped up and then my computer got a virus and I thought I had lost my fanfiction files when I transferred them from my back-up drive back onto my computer, but I just found them recently and finally finished this chapter! (the files were saved with my music, somehow) So, read and review and I will continue to give you more fanfiction (at least until I'm done with Destined and then you'll have to wait until I get Hidden (why isn't it out YET?) and figure out how Raven will mess that story up)


	8. Chapter Seven

Just before we went into the building Stark said: "I'm right here, and I love you."

"I love you, too, Z." Stevie Rae said.

"Me, too." Damien said with a little sob.

"You can always count on me." I said.

"You can borrow my two-carat diamond stud earrings." Aphrodite said.

"Huh?" Zoey said stopping the line.

"That's as close to a declaration of love as you're gonna to get from me."

Stevie Rae sigh and I just rolled my eyes. At least she didn't cuss.

"Thanks, I'll take you up on it." Zoey said. I barely heard Aphrodite's: "Goddess, I hate being nice."

I willed the doors open (hey, I figured I might as well practice so something doesn't accidently get blown up or people get shoved through walls again) and Grandma Redbird was there in a big leather chair.

Her eyes were all puffy and she suddenly looked aged a gazillion years since the last time I saw her. My heart clenched in sympathy.

Zoey broke out of the line and lunged for her Grandma. Grandma Redbird stood up and hugged her grandbaby tightly.

A stab of jealously burned into my heart. When my parents died, I had no one close to mourn with when my parents died. I had no one who would miss them as dearly as I do and seeing Zoey and Grandma Redbird together like this did make me a just the tiddly bit jealous.

"Mom's dead." She said.

"Yes, _u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya. _Your mother is dead. Did her spirit come to you?"

"In a way. Last night, while I was asleep, Nyx showed me Mom entering the Otherworld."

Astral projection is a bitch. I honestly can't see its value.

Grandma Redbird suddenly swayed.

"Spirit, come to me! Help Grandma!"

I rushed over and clasped my hands over their joined ones. Golden flames curled out from my fingers and wrapped around both of them. Skye warbled and Grandma Redbird opened her eyes.

"Oh my." She gasped.

"Uh, yeah, um, Grandma Redbird meet Skye. She's sorta my hatchling." I said smiling sheepishly. Skye perched herself on the edge of my shoulder to sniff at Grandma Redbird. "She doesn't bite."

Aphrodite snorted.

Grandma Redbird reached out and touched the little dragon. Skye rubbed her jaw along Grandma Redbird's hand. She purred loudly and looked at me.

"Grandma Redbird." I told her.

She put the image of a majestic red bird into my mind. I nodded and Skye chittered happily and rubbed her head over Grandma Redbird's hand. Grandma Redbird cracked a small smile.

"I think we should start selling your dragon for therapy." Stark said.

Everyone gave a small laugh.

"_Gv-li-e-li-ga, ta-tsu-wa_." She looked at my hatchling with a small smile. "_Gv-li-e-li-ga, wa-da-du-ga."_

Zoey smiled. I would have to ask her what Grandma Redbird called us later.

Grandma Redbird took Zoey's hands in hers. "Your mother was killed at my lavender farm."

"What? I don't understand. How? Why?" Zoey said.

"The sheriff is saying it was a robbery, and that she just got in the way."

It felt like something kicked me in the stomach. Um, no. Zoey's mom was not killed because of a robbery. Don't ask me how I know, I just do.

Great, now I'm psychic. Oye.

"He says from what they took, my computer and television and my cameras, and the random violence of the crime, that they were probably addicts stealing so they would have money for drugs." She paused and looked at Zoey earnestly. "She'd left him, Zoeybird, and come to me. I was at a powwow. I was not there for her." Tears spilled over her eyes.

"No, Grandma, don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault, and if you'd been there I would have lost both of you-and I couldn't stand that!"

"I know, _u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya, _but the death of a child, even one that has been lost to her parent, is a heavy burden."

Note to self: don't have kids.

"Was it-did she-did Mom suffer?" Zoey asked softly.

"No. She died quickly." Grandma Redbird said.

"You found her?"

Grandma Redbird nodded and I clutched her hand. I knew how that was like.

"I did. She was in the field just outside the house. She was laying there and she looked so peaceful that at first I believed she was sleeping." She sobbed. "She was not sleeping."

Suddenly the image of my parents slit throats and terrified eyes danced across my mind. My stomach tightened and my eyes prickled. I scratched my eyes, hoping to keep the tears inside.

Skye cooed and put her front paws on Grandma Redbird's shoulder. She rubbed her cheek against Grandma Redbird's and licked at her tears.

She gave a small smile and stroked Skye's neck.

"She's happy, Grandma. I saw her. Nyx took the sadness from her. She's waiting for us in the Otherworld, and she has the Goddess's blessing."

"_Wa-do, u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya._ You give me strength." She hugged Zoey tightly.

"Grandma, please stay with me, at least for a little while."

"I cannot, _u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya." _She stepped back and Skye climbed back onto my shoulders. "You know I will follow our people's tradition and mourn for seven full days, and this is not the right place for me to mourn."

"We're not stayin' here, Grandma," Stevie Rae said. She wiped her face with her shirt sleeve. "Zoey and our whole group have moved to the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot. I'm their official High Priestess, and I'd really like it if you'd come stay with us-for seven days or seven months-for as long as you want."

Grandma Redbird smiled at Stevie Rae. "That is a generous offer, _Elohine, _but your depot is not the right place for me to mourn, either. I must be on my land, at the farm. I must spend the next week eating and sleeping little. I must focus on cleansing my home and my land of this horrible deed."

"All by yourself, Grandma?" Stark asked. "Is that safe after what happened?"

"_Tsi-ta-ga-ash-ya, _do not let my looks deceive you. I am many things, and not one of them is a helpless old woman."

My heart clenched. "We're not saying that, Grandma Redbird. Things have just gotten…scarier lately and we don't think you should be alone."

"Ray has a point, Grandma." Zoey said.

"_U-we-tsi-a-ge-ya, _I must cleanse my home, my land, and myself as I mourn. I cannot do that unless I am at peace with the land, and I will not stay inside the house until it is thoroughly cleansed and the seven days have past. I will be camping in my backyard, in the meadow by the stream." Grandma Redbird smiled at us. "I do not believe you would fare so well exposed to the sunlight for that time."

"Well, I can do some darkness stuff and-"

Grandma Redbird stopped me. "This I must do myself, _ta-tsu-wa_." She turned to Zoey. "I do have something to ask of you, though."

"Anything." Zoey said.

"In seven days will you come to the farm with your friends? Will you cast a circle and perform a cleansing ritual of your own?"

"I will." She said.

_"We _will." Stevie Rae said and the other kids joined in.

"Then that is how it shall be," Grandma Redbird said. "The Cherokee tradition of mourning and cleansing will be coupled with vampyre ritual. It is a god that it is so, as my family had expanded to include so many vampyres, fledglings, and half-breeds."

Skye warbled loudly.

Grandma Redbird smiled. "And hatchlings."

She chirped happily and draped herself around my neck, purring. I sighed. How can she be so spoiled?

Grandma Redbird then looked at all of us. "I ask one more thing. That each of you think bright thoughts of me, and of Zoey's mother, for the next seven days. It does not matter that Linda faltered in life. What matters is that she is remembered with love and kind thoughts."

"Okay, Grandma Redbird." I said and a lot of other kids echoed my words.

"I will go now, _u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya_. Sunrise is not far away, and I would greet the dawn on my land." Zoey and Grandma Redbird began walking towards the door.

I saw Zoey hug her Grandma tightly. "I understand why you have to, but I really wish you wouldn't go."

"I know, but in seven days-"

The door was pulled open and her bitchiness walked in. I swear to God I wanted to punch her and keep punching her until she could never move again. She was going to say something awful and manipulative even though it wouldn't work on any of us.

"Sylvia, I have heard of your loss. Please accept my sincere sorrow that it was your daughter who was killed."

"I accept your sorrow, Neferet. I do feel the sincerity in it."

"Is there anything the House of Night can do for you? Is there anything you need?"

She needs you to take your fakeness outta here.

"The young mediator has strengthened me, and the Goddess has welcomed my daughter to the Otherworld."

She shot me a sharp look. I wonder if she could tell I wanted to beat her to a pulp. Skye warbled at her and then tugged on my hair.

"Raven is very kind, and the Goddess is generous."

"I don't believe it was kindness or generosity that was behind the actions of Raven or the Goddess. I believe it was love. Do you not think so, High Priestess?"

Well, I do heart me some Grandma Redbird.

"What I think is that you _could _be right." She said after a pause.

"Yes. I could be. And there is one thing I need from the House of Night."

"We would be honored to aid a Wise Woman in a time of need."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I was just done with her fakeness. At least Damascus didn't pretend to be good, at least around me. I don't know, maybe he was screwing with some humans pretending to be an angel of the Lord or something like that.

Whoa, I hope he wasn't screwing around with the Pope or any other powerful Christian leader. That could be very, very bad.

"Thank you. I would ask that Zoey and her circle be allowed to come to my land in seven days to perform a cleansing ritual. That would complete my mourning and wash my home free of any lingering evil."

Something passed over her face. It was there for a millisecond. "Of course. I freely give permission for this ritual."

Bet she was scared. I had a feeling she might have something to do with this, I mean come she hates Zoey. Kalona wouldn't do something that would really hurt Zoey and I'm pretty sure Damascus wouldn't harm her mother. So she's the only person of malicious intent who would do something like that.

"Thank you Neferet." Then she turned to hug Zoey again. "In seven days, _u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya._ I will see you again then."

"Seven days. I love you, Grandma. Don't ever forget."

"I could no more forget that than I could forget to breathe. I love you, too, daughter."

She then walked out the door and disappeared into the night.

Stark slipped behind Zoey and put an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, Z. I think we've all had enough school for one day. Let's go home."

"Yeah, Z. Let's go home." Stevie Rae said.

She started nodding and then paused looking confused and touching her chest. Then Dragon and Aurox walked through the door Grandma Redbird just left through.

"Zoey, I heard the news about your mother. I am sorry." Dragon said.

Huh, I wonder if he _did _learn something when I smacked some sense into him when it came to loss. Or maybe he was afraid I might slap him again, which I would have if he would have been a brainless jerk again.

"Th-thank you." Zoey muttered. "I want to go home, but first I need a minute to myself." She broke away from Stark and pushed past Dragon and Aurox. Stark moved after her.

"Zoey? Where are you-?"

"I'll just be by the fountain that's in the courtyard next to the parking lot. Come get me when the bus is loaded and ready to go." And then she darted off.

My heart went out to her. Losing a parent is not easy, especially when your parents died way too young and were murdered.

"Neferet, I need to speak with you regarding the new classes that are being taught in Lenobia's arena." Dragon said.

"It was decided by the High Council that these fledglings stay, at least for the time being." She said.

"I understand that, bu-"

Neferet interrupted him. "But would you rather have the Raven Mocker in your class?"

I gritted my teeth. Can I punch her? I really, _really _wanted to punch her!

"Rephaim isn't a Raven Mocker anymore." Stevie Rae said.

"And yet he calls those creatures, those Raven Mockers, brothers." Aurox said.

"So do I!" I snapped. "And no one has never called me a Raven Mocker, which is kinda of weird cause I am related to them only something freaky happened and I turned out to look normal." Skye chirped and tugged at my hair. I scratched her horns.

"Indeed, Aurox, that is a relevant observation." Why does she just ignore me? "As you are Nyx's gift to me I think it is important that we listen to your observations."

I snorted. Right, if he's a Goddess given gift then I'm a monkey.

"What in Sam Hill is the point? They _are _his brothers just like Raven is his sister. He's not tryin' to hid that." Stevie Rae said. "You shouldn't have attacked that Raven Mocker. He wasn't attacking anyone." She told Aurox.

"You think we should wait for the creatures to slaughter another one of us before we move against them?" Dragon said.

"Well then, you better kill Rephaim now. Oh, and Stark and Darius and Zoey too. And you most definitely should kill me because you never know, we could turn inexplicitly evil some time in the future and just go on a freaking kill spree and enslave everything in sight." I said with a smirk. "Or you know, we could be the only hope humanity has of surviving. But it's probably best to not take the chance." Skye chirped. "Oh, Skye too. She could grow-up and crave mortal meat." I just crossed my arms and glared at him.

At least I didn't smack him again!

He opened his mouth to say something, probably something along the lines that they were a special case (bullshit!) so that's why they had to be killed immediately whether they were being aggressive or not, and then suddenly a very loud, evil sounding cackle came from under my armpit.

Skye shrieked and dove into the back of my shirt.

"Dammit Skye." I said once I regained balance. "It's just my phone."

"That's your ring tone?" Stevie Rae said.

"Yep." I started rummaging through my bag looking for the source of the cackling. I finally yanked the phone out. I pressed the send button, shouldn't it be the answer or call button, and pressed it up against my ear as I turned away from everyone else.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Raven? It's me, Melissa Everhart."

Oh shit.

This wasn't a bad oh shit this was just an oh shit cuz this is my parent's lawyer.

"Hi Melissa." I started for the door.

"I wasn't sure if you remembered me much." She said.

"I kinda remember you. Weren't you the one my dad conned into wearing that Blues Clues costume for my fifth birthday?" At least I think it was fifth.

She chuckled. "I was hoping to get ahold of you. Your…um High Priestess said you have been busy with an emergency. We need to get together so we can discuss your parent's will."

Oh boy.

"Kay." I said.

"I am very, very sorry for your loss." She said. "I realize this might be painful for you. If you need some more time, this can wait."

"No. I'm ready now." Better get it over with before I'm kidnapped by minions of evil. "Or I guess the day of nearest convenience."

"How about this Saturday?"

"Kay. Um, I can wake-up early so we can meet up at seven p.m.-ish."  
>"I think that would be prefect. Do you know where my office is?"<p>

"No."

She gave me directions that I wrote in the air with light, I didn't have a pad of paper in my bag that's what the phone is for.

"All right. I'll see you at seven on Saturday."

"Kay."

"Bye Raven."

"Bye." I clicked the phone off and typed the directions into my notepad tool.

Skye shifted under my shirt and curled back up on my neck.

"Come on stinker, let's go home." I said. "I really need some comfort food."

She pressed her cheek against mine and purred loudly.

"You're too cute sometimes you know that?" I said.

She looked at me with big blue eyes.

Yes, yes she did know that.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXO

Sorry it took me so long. Writer's block is awful. If I could I would just rip it out of its hidey hole and beat the snot out of it, I would. Does writer block even have snot?

And it's not like my Muse is out of imaginative juice, I just had this really epic dream where this Frollo from Disney and Voldemort mix took over the world with Darth Vader as his second in command (um, could the world be any more screwed?) And me and a bunch of random people were at this school, I don't think it was Hogwarts, where I arranged an uprising and then there was this kick ass battle with laser beams, lightsabers, and magic just flying everywhere and I was like some avenging angel kicking ass and we got defeated. Don't know how, it could be the fact that we were a bunch of kids and they were Storm Troopers and Death Eaters. Voldollo decided to have me imprisoned instead of killed cuz he thought I could lead him to Potter and bring him to his doom! But Potter gets into the castle and writes Gryffindors Rule in sparkly dust and also writes Stars Shine Brighter In Eternal Darkness. I see their reaction and just smile as I glow!

Then I wake-up. But it was the most epic dream I have ever had to date!

So, um, if you read this review please and once I remove this stupid writer's block I will give you all a brand new chapter. TTFN.


	9. Chapter Eight

AN: Twas an epic battle! The mighty forces of fanfiction Authordom fought valiantly against the evil forces of Writer's Block and his Muse kidnapping demons. An epic battle was raged that shook the Earth, flattened mountains, leveled valleys, and destroyed beautiful, scenic beaches. Many died in the attempt to free the Muses and bring forth mindless entertainment, but they shall not die in vain. For readers will sing the praises of this great chapter and keep the spirit of the fallen Warriors alive!

XOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXXOXOX

I stepped carefully along the path, trying not to step on the cracks. I noticed that some of the stones were just a tick darker than the others. I began hopping from the lighter stones and trying to not step onto the darker ones.

I'm a dork, sue me.

Skye chittered as she darted around my ankles (she suddenly decided that she was going to walk instead of having me carry her) and was greatly affecting me not stepping on the spots of lava.

"Skye, the dark stones are lava. We can't step on them." I told her.

She gave me a confused look.

"It's a game." I said.

She chittered. She gave me a picture of some fast flying dragons.

I sighed. "Fine, we'll hurry." I skipped forward.

Everyone was already gathered in front of the bus. I even saw Snap pacing in front of the bus.

What the hell does she do when she's not babysitting me? She keeps telling me she tags along to keep an eye on me, but I never really see her.

"About time you showed up." Aphrodite said.

"I got distracted." I protested.

There was a red fledgling I didn't know whose eyes suddenly widened.

Skye chittered and pawed at my leg.

"You wanted to walk!"

She warbled at me and tugged at my jeans.

I sighed and picked her up. She climbed onto my shoulders to curl around my neck. I scratched behind her horns and she purred loudly.

"You're so god damn spoiled!" I said.

"Um, Shaylin this is the Mediator Raven and her hatchling Skye." Zoey said to the unknown red fledgling. "Raven, this is Shaylin. She was just newly marked."

"Hiya." I'm so glad I'm not her. Could you imagine being just dropped into the middle of this mess? And since when have people starting introducing me as the 'Mediator Raven?' Come on! It's not like I've done any major mediatoring!

"Oh my god you're pretty." Shaylin said.

I blinked. That's…weird.

"Thank you?" I tried to make it not sound like a question, but that didn't work at too well.

"It's just that, I've never seen so many colors together! Not that I've seen very many people so I can't say for sure that you have the most colors. And they're so pretty! You're this rusty color, no rusty is not right, more like the color of brown autumn leaves. And there's some black, but when I look closer it's a lot of darker colors shifting around and this prismatic color is really entwined with it and there's some of this really nice, warm gold color and flecks of silver blue. And some leafy green color and this really pretty aquamarine color. And there's this really weird string of purple-red color too!" She took a deep breath. "You're just pretty." She sighed.

My eyes flicked over to the others. Colors? Was there something wrong with this girl? Please, a hint? Someone?

Aphrodite sighed. "We think Shaylin has been gifted with True Sight. If you had shown up a bit earlier then you would already know this."

"There were pockets of lava I had to avoid." I blurted out.

She frowned at me.

"Haven't you ever pretended that the floor is lava?"

She rolled her eyes. "Would you grow-up? You're supposed to be the Voice of the Fairies and shit."

"I think that being a child would help me in that regard." I said. Something suddenly stood out about Shaylin. I pointed at her forehead. "Did someone die recently?"

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Again, if you weren't off being all pretending and shit, then you would have already know that Shaylin was Marked red by Mister Erik here."

I looked at Erik. I thought red fledglings had to die first?

"Wait, you just cussed!" I said. "And the time before that!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Ah! I knew I felt a new fledgling!"

Why does her voice seem to throw a bucket of ice water onto us?

"Merry meet, I am Neferet, your High Priestess." She turned to Erik. I thought I saw a flash of anger. Whoopsy, someone's in trouble because they didn't do what the overly controlling High Bitchess wanted him to do. "Professor Night."

Whoa, Erik's a teacher? Who knew. Probably everyone, but me.

"You should not have brought the child here." She stepped closer to Shaylin and reached out towards her in an apologetic gesture. "Young fledgling, the Tracker should have instructed you to come to the female dormitory where you will join the rest of the-" She suddenly stopped and stared at Shaylin's red Mark.

"Yeah, She's red. Which means she _is _in the right place." Zoey said, a bit smugly I might add.

"And I'm her High Priestess. Not you." Stevie Rae said.

"Oh! You're…oh, I don't feel well." Shaylin suddenly collapsed. My fingers tingled and glowed gold, but Erik caught her and shook his head slightly. The glowing stopped.

"She's been through a lot." Aphrodite said. She stepped right in front of Neferet's face. "She needs to go home. To the depot. With us. Now."

Neferet's eyes narrowed and then she quickly looked around our group. Skye growled when Neferet looked at her.

Her suspicious face suddenly broke as she tilted her head back and gave a cruel laugh. Why is evil laughter such a villain cliché?

"She was blind." She was?! "That's why she's been Marked red. She's broken."

What a bitch!

"She just didn't have to die to get that way. Well, at least not yet she hasn't died."

Kramisha gave a little jerk of fear. Neferet gave a small smirk when she saw her reaction. "What is it? Did you actually believe that red outline guaranteed you the Change?"

I would have assumed that since they already died they were incapable of doing it again. How do you kill something that already died?

"Yes, I can sense your shock and fear." She looked like she was enjoying it! I felt anger building up inside of me. What a bully! "You hadn't thought of that. Your body can still reject the Change."

"You don't know that." I said. I couldn't put up with her anymore. "You are a not a goddess, so it would be incredibly arrogant of you to assume you know everything."

Her eyes narrowed and I saw her blood tainted darkness flicking around her like it was reflecting her rage.

"And may I give you tiny bit of advice." I said softly, stepping toe to toe to her. We were the same height, although I was a fraction of an inch taller, so I was looking right into her dead eyes. "If you're going to pretend to be a High Priestess, you really need to work on your people skills." And with a little mental shove, I banished the darkness hanging about her. She stepped back, her eyes narrowing in anger, but I saw a flash of fear. She had no right to think she was more powerful than me. She was nothing, but a fake.

She looked at Shaylin, who was still passed out in Erik's arms. "Take the new fledgling with you. She glanced at me. "Her home is with you and the rest of the misfits, not here. What in the name of the gods will Nyx come up with next?" She walked away laughing.

"You really shouldn't antagonize her, Raven." Stark said.

I rolled my eyes. "Am I supposed to just stand her while she bullies people and is all High Priestess of all things Bitchy?"

Aphrodite glared at me. "You're the mediator. You're supposed to promote peace and all around good stuff."

"There's no point in promoting peace among those who do not want it." I said.

Stevie Rae snorted. "And she definitely doesn't want it."

"She scares me." Kramisha said in a small voice. I put my arm around her.

"It's okay to be a scared of her." Stevie Rae said giving her a hug. "That'll just make us fight harder against her."

"Or run faster." Erik said. Is he always a party pooper?

"Some of us aren't running away." Stevie Rae said.

"Are you sure?" Shaylin asked.

"Hey are you back with us?" Erik asked.

"Actually, I never went anywhere. Um. You can put me down now. Please."

"Oh. Right. Yeah." Erik gently put her down.

"So, you faked a faint. Why?" Aphordite asked.

"Well, it wasn't hard." She glanced at Kramisha. "I agree with you. She scares me." She looked at me. "And I think you're psycho for provoking her."

I shrugged. "Me no tolerate bullies so wells. Knock them off high horse, I will. And step on their faces too cuz I'm a bit of a bitch."

She smiled. "I acted like I passed out because it was either that or run screaming away from her." She shared a look with Erik. Do I detect the hints of young love? Or am I just assuming things? "Yeah, I agree with you too." Then she shrugged a shoulder. "But she said she's a High Priestess."

"Lies." I coughed.

"I don't know much about vampyres, but everyone knows High Priestesses are in charge. Running screaming away from one my first day as a fledgling didn't seem like a good option."

"So you figured you'd play opossum." Stevie Rae said.

"Play what?"

"That's a bumpkin way of saying that you pretended to be out of it so Neferet would live you alone." Aphrodite said.

"Doesn't knowing that make you a bit of a bumpkin?" I asked.

"No, just means I have very good people skills." She snapped.

Stark snorted.

"Yeah, I played opossum." Shaylin said with a small smile. "I guess it worked out pretty well."

"Not a bad plan." Stark said. "Meeting Neferet and being Marked all in one day sucks for you."

"What did you see?" Zoey asked.

"Right before I went blind I was at Nam Hi, that big Vietnamese grocery store on Twenty-first and Garnett, with my mom. They had whole fish for sale in giant bin of ice. They scared me so bad I remember all I could do was stand there and stare at their milky, dead eyes and their horrible slit open bellies."

"Yikes." I said.

"Neferet's dead fish belly color?" Stevie Rae asked.

"No. Neferet's color is the same color as dead fish eyes. That's her only color." Shaylin said.

"That can't be good." Kramisha said.

No dip. Seeings how she said I looked like a rainbow.

"What can't be good?" Darius asked. I jumped. I didn't realize he wasn't there. I really need to work on my attention skills.

"Darius, stud Warrior,"

Gag me.

"Meet Shaylin, newly Marked red fledgling who didn't die to be red and who has True Sight. She just 'saw' Neferet and apparently her true color is like dead fish eyes."

Darius bowed to Shaylin. "Merry meet, Shaylin."

"We need to learn more about True Sight," Damien said. "It's sixth former and beyond level information. Do you know anything about it?" He asked Darius.

"Not a lot. I focused mostly on knives, not vampyre sociology." Darius said.

"Well, I have the stupid advanced handbook." Aphrodite said. She frowned at the others who were gawking at her. "What? I was a sixth former before _this _happened." She pointed at her bare forehead. "Sadly, I had to rejoin my old schedule today." She rolled her eyes. "Oh, for shit's sake, I have homework, that's all. The book's in my extremely attractive Anahata Joy Katkin bag in the retard bus."

Who cares who designed the bag?

"Aphrodite, stop sayin' retard." Stevie Rae shouted at her. "I swear you need to check out www. . Maybe you'd learn that some people get their feelin's hurt by the r-word."

I sighed. I sense a fight between them.

"I'm going to go get my car." I said to Zoey.

"You have a car?" Zoey asked.

"Yeah, that's how I got here in the first place." I said digging out my keys.

"How are you going to fit?" Stevie Rae asked.

"I'll figure out something. I was able to sit in a bus seat without much problem." I said. "I'll follow you guys back." I waved bye and walked out into the parking lot.

I was so relieved to see that it was still there. I kinda of figured that parking security would have had it towed. I unlocked it and tossed my purse into the back and placed Skye onto the passenger seat.

She warbled and sniffed at the seats. I held my arms out and wrapped my wings around my torso. It was really uncomfortable.

"I need to talk to someone about inventing a car for winged people." I muttered. I slid in it and shut the door. I uncurled my wings slightly and turned the key.

Skye squealed and shot up my shirt. She dug her claws into my bra and my boobies and that really _hurt._

"Ow, Skye. It's okay. All right. We're okay." I gasped as she curled up, clinging to my bosom. Her hot breath tickles too. I can't tell which was worse, the pain or the tickling.

_"You probably should have one of the other kids drive your car." _Snap said.

"Probably." I said. I yanked the car into reserve and pulled out. I pulled behind the bus and followed it back to the depot. The whole time Skye never let up even though I was being totally nice and telling her how everything was okay and so on.

I parked in the parking structure next to the bus and got out.

"What's with the face, Ray?" Stevie Rae asked.

"Do you not see the huge growth on my chest?" I asked. I reached under my shirt and tried to pull her out. She dug in harder and tried to fit herself into my bra. Yeah, um, I doubt bras were made for baby dragons.

"What's a matter with Skye?" Stevie Rae asked.

"She doesn't like human machines." I said. "I thought she would be fine since she did okay with the bus, but…" I gestured to my chest.

Zoey looked at me really weirdly. She looked like she wanted to laugh, but something was holding her back.

"I'm going up to my room and try to calm her down." I said.

"Kay, we're going to have a meeting after sunrise." Zoey said glancing at Rephaim and then at Shaylin.

"Okie dokie. I won't make any promises." Again gesturing to my dragon.

I waddled up to my room and tossed my bag onto my bed. I tugged off my shirt. Skye slid down a bit, but she continued to try and get into my bra.

"Come 'ere Skye." I tugged her out and cuddled her in my arms. "It's okay, all right?"

She warbled pitifully and nuzzled against my neck. I wrapped my wings around her. I started humming and she did her purr.

"Are we okay now?"

She chirped.

"You want food?"

She warbled and wagged her tail.

"Let's get food." I pulled the shirt back on and carried her down into the kitchen.

Zoey, Damian, Aphrodite, and Darius were the only ones in there. They weren't eating either, but looking through a stack of books.

"Everything taken care of?" Damien asked.

"Yeah. She's hungry now." Skye chirped and tugged on my hair. I sat her down on the ground and began digging through the cabinets.

"What do you feed her?" Damien asked.

"Chunks of meat soaked in warmed milk." I said shrugging.

"Do I even want to know how you came up with that?" Zoey asked.

"Instincts?" I said putting a pan on the burner. Skye pranced around my ankles, chirping. "I'm hurrying!" I told her. I poured the milk into the pan.

"Can't you muzzle her, oh powerful dark one?" Aphrodite asked.

"If she gets a muzzle, so will you." I said slicing up some meat.

"Who's getting a muzzle?" Stevie Rae came in looking like a half-dead zombie.

"Aphrodite." Damien, Zoey, and I said together.

"There's lots of pop in the fridge." Zoey said.

Stevie Rae peered over my shoulder on her way to the fridge. "Dinner for baby dragon?"

I nodded. Skye clung to my leg and I reached down to scratch behind her horns. "Dinner for the spoiled baby dragon."

Stevie Rae opened the fridge and gawked. "Where did all this stuff come from?"

Zoey sighed. "Kramisha. She said instead of going to third hour she 'field-tripped' to Utica Square and just happened to run into some night shirt guys stocking the shelves at Petty's grocery store."

"Uh-oh. She red vamp zapped them?" Stevie Rae asked.

Would red vampyre zapping work on me? I mean, I'm not human, fully, so wouldn't I be safe? Where immortal and mortal brain waves the same?

I tossed the meat into the pot only sorta of paying attention to their conversation. Aphrodite was bitching about red vamps zapping and shit and Stevie Rae was getting pissed and blah blah blah.

I filled my makeshift bottle with milk and sat down. Skye curled up and began suckling.

Um, yeah, I wasn't paying attention to what they were arguing about anymore because Skye was being majorly cute. I think it was about Rephaim, maybe.

I fed Skye her meat and she yawned loudly. I yawned as I threw the dirty dishes into the sink.

"I'm going to take Skye for a pee break and then I'm going to bed." I said. It kinda of dawned on me that last night, um morning, Dominic was revealed to be a jackass and I found Skye. It feels like it's been a few days rather than one.

"Kay, night Ray." Damien said.

"Night." The rest echoed.

I carried Skye down the tunnel and back outside. The sun was slowly turning everything golden and beautiful. I stood for a minute and breathed in the warmth.

"Okay," I set Skye down near some bushes that were probably decorative, but now they're eating the space up. "Go pee." She grumbled, but slipped into the bushes.

I sighed and yawned. Gods, I was tired. Hopefully there would be no astral projecting tonight and I would just sleep like the dead.

I felt a sharp pain near my shoulder.

"Ow!" I brushed my hand against my shoulder and pulled a small dart.

My heart thumped loudly. I heard gravel crunching behind me. I whirled around and saw some guy in a robe was walking slowly to me.

"Who are you?" I immediately called upon my powers and starting panicking when I felt nothing. My powers were gone.

Great! The one time I probably will need it (cuz this guy looks really ancient and creepy) and it's gone.

"You are the Mediator, correct?" He spoke English, but it was pronounced strangely like English hadn't been his first language or even second, but I couldn't detect an obvious accent.

"Depends." I said. Nuggets. Big, huge, stinking nuggets! I'm in soooooo much trouble.

He pressed his fist against his chest in the vampyre greeting, even though he had no tattoo. I saw on his breast was the image of some kind of bird with its wings spread high above its head.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you and I'm sorry for my rudeness." He looked up at me with really pretty blue-green eyes. "The dart has a potion that will keep your powers suppressed for a little while."

"How long?" I asked getting really nervous. I could only think of bad reasons as to why he wanted my power suppressed.

He looked down. "Long enough." He had a sad look on his face when he looked at me. "I am very sorry. From what we've been taught about Mediators, you are truly a pure and true hearted soul and this will be a great loss for this world."

Shit.

He slowly drew out his sword. "But, the Phoenix must remain hidden."

My heart pounded violently in my chest. "What?" What the hell was the Phoenix?

"The Immortals that have entered this world must not gain its power." He began walking towards me. "Please, understand. It's for the greater good."

I had no idea what to say. There was a part of me (a very small part mind you, I'm not _that _depressed, yet) that kinda of wanted to die because then I wouldn't have to make the choice to help Damascus find the Key knowing that if I didn't my friends were doomed. But if I died then no one would be here to help ease the humans, vampyres, and Fae into a state of peace and Damascus would still be here to egg things on.

"No, you don't understand." I said. "Without my help, the humans and vampyres and Fae won't get along. The Fae will go back into hiding or worse, they'll wage war on the mortals. And that Immortal won't help things at all."

"The consequences of the Immortals using your power to their advantage are far too great." He said still descending on me. "We have wanted peace be the vampyres and humans and for the Fae to return. Please, understand, none of us want you dead for selfish reasons and it pains us beyond understanding that we must kill you."

"Sorry." I lunged at him.

Surprise lit his features as I dodged around his sword and nailed him in the face. He stumbled back and then waved his sword at me. It whistled over my head as I ducked. I lunged again and wrapped my arms around his legs.

He fell backwards and I could hear the sword clanging against the road. I crawled up and put my knee on his chest.

"Look, as much as I would love to just…give up and end this, it won't solve anything. If Damascus truly wants this Phoenix, then he won't stop just because I'm dead. He'll find someone else to help him find it. He's _immortal, _he's got all the time he needs to find it."

He gave me a sad look. "You're so young."

He shoved me off onto my butt. He sprang up with a knife in his hand.

Skye came out of nowhere and latched onto his leg with a vicious cry. He shook her off. She scrambled over to me and stood on my chest, hissing at robes man.

"A dragon?" He looked happy. I stood up clutching Skye tightly. "She's more beautiful than the old scrolls described."

"Can you just tell me who you are?! Or who this 'we' is?" I yelled flaring my wings.

You know, it just occurred to me that I'm a fucking winged Immortal and I could fly away.

It must have registered on my face that I suddenly remembered that there are two wings on my back because his face got scary dark and his hand lashed out.

White hot pain dug itself into my chest. I screamed out and Skye echoed my cry. I suddenly couldn't breathe and my chest felt tight.

There was a shriek and I saw something black flying around robes man. I stumbled to the ground trying to breath. Skye chirped anxiously, her eyes filled with fear.

A petrified screamed erupted the air, but it wasn't mine. I looked up and saw the robes man feet dangling in the air. I tilted my head up more and saw a silver horn protruding from his shoulder.

"Cander?" I called out.

The unicorn tossed him to the ground and pounded the man's head into the ground. He tossed his black mane and shrieked to the heavens.

A picture of a raven flew around my head and made it pound. I opened my eyes and everything was dark and fuzzy. My body felt so heavy.

_"Little Mediator."_

I turned and saw a shadow glowing.

_"I need you to pull the dagger from your heart."_

I blinked. Didn't that crocodile guy die because he pulled the barb out of his heart? My teacher said he would have survived if hadn't pulled it out.

_"I need your wound open so I may clean your blood of the poison. It's the only way you can heal."_

Skye bit my hand and place it on my stomach. She screeched and nudged my hand towards the blade.

As corny as it sounds, I honestly found the will to pull the knife out because of the fear in Skye's eyes.

And, my advice: don't get stabbed and don't pull it out. It hurts and then pulling out hurts _worse._

I watched a glowing horn descend down and touch my chest. My blood boiled and fizzled. Black smoke rose from the hole in my chest and left a pungent odor in the air.

Almost immediately I felt my power rushing through me. Warmth filled my chest and golden flames erupted from my heart. It curled around my body filling every cell with warmth and my heart gave one painful thump before beating regularly.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO XOX

Take up arms gentle readers and fair reviewers. There is an evil in this world and it taken many authors and muses prisoner. I was a prisoner and have seen its evil. Now, I implore you to join me to destroy this evil and free everyone from its constricting ways!

Um, yeah. Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a massive case of writer's block. I don't even understand why this chapter was so hard to write. I'm not making any promises for when the next chapter comes out since I have no idea if I truly vanquished Writer's Block, or if it's only bidding its time to strike during my crucial hour. So, please review cuz it'll make me feel better that people are reading my stuff even after my unscheduled hiatus.


	10. Chapter Nine

"Raven! Raven!"

I opened my eyes and made a face. My chest really hurt. Even thinking about sitting up was making it ache.

Darius rushed out with Zoey and Aphrodite close behind.

"Fuck! What did you do Raven?"

I rolled over, trying to get up in the least painful way possible.

"Stay still, Raven." Darius said.

"I'm all healed." I said. "It's just sore."

"What the hell did you do?" Aphrodite said.

"Do you really think she would do this to herself?" Zoey snapped. "What happened, Ray?"

Darius helped me sit up.

"Can we get into the tunnels?" I felt too exposed. I was afraid a friend of Mister robes man would show up. I looked around, but there was no body. Just a gross blood spot. The unicorn was gone too. Huh. If it wasn't for the bruise and blood spot, I would have assumed I had a trippy ass dream.

Skye squawked and looked at Darius and then at me.

"I'm fine." I told her. I grabbed her and looked her over. There wasn't a mark on her. "He was a good shot."

"What?"

"I'll explain. Let's just get underground. This sun's probably a bitch for you guys." I creakily stood up. It felt like all my chest muscles were stone.

Darius put an arm around me and helped me into the tunnels. Imagine my surprise when a good chunk of the red fledglings where waiting in the kitchen.

There were a lot of felines too and Miss Duchess herself. They came over and sniffed me. I wondered if I sent a distress call out to the animals and that's why the red fledglings were up and looking zombized, but also freaked out.

"Fuck, what happened to your chest."

"Someone fucking stabbed me." I sat down in a chair

"What?!"

So, I told them about robes guy and what he told me.

"So, wait, he didn't really want to kill you?" Stevie Rae asked.

I nodded. "It was just weird. He acted like he had no other choice." I pressed the ice pack against my chest.

"I'm starting to think you're more trouble than your worth." Aphrodite said.

"Well, you inherit a position you don't know shit about and see how much trouble you get in." I retorted.

She gave me a nasty smile. "You just cussed."

I narrowed my eyes. Sparks of darkness and light shot out from the chair. Aphrodite gave a small scream as it fell apart and she landed on her butt.

"Whoopies." I said. I got up and tossed the ice pack into the freezer. The pain hadn't lessened and all it had done was make me cold. "Look, I'm really tired. I'm sorry, but I need to sleep. I'm going to bed. Night."

I picked up Skye and walked out of the kitchen. I swear I was a zombie. Everything felt dead and I felt like I was just floating around. Maybe I did die and was just floating around in a solid-ish ghost.

I kicked off my shoes and curled up under my covers. Skye chirped and curled up against my heart. Snap curled up near my head.

_"Try not to get in trouble." _She said.

"I make no promises." I mumbled and hugged my pillow to my chest.

It felt like I had only been asleep for a couple seconds when I heard a noise. I lifted my head and blinked stupidly.

My heart skipped a couple of beats when a huge shadow suddenly moved towards me.

"Gods Dominic!"

Dominic appeared out of the mass of shadows.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Shoo." I said lying back down.

He grabbed my upper arms and lifted me up.

"Dominic, I'm tired. Go away." I snapped. I tried to push him away. It was too much effort. "What do you want?"

"Who stabbed you? He asked. He pressed two fingers in between my breasts. He lightly traced the raised line and it actually tickled.

I smacked his hand. "Prev. Some robes guy stabbed me."

"Robes guy?"

"He didn't drop his name or what cult he's part of." I said rubbing my head. "So, leaving yet?"

"Where is he now?"

"Some unicorn pounded his head into the pavement." I said. I looked at him, really looked at him, and I probably shouldn't have. He was just wearing some low slung black pants and yes, his abs were really, _really _yummy.

Jerk. One, he's just playing with my sex crazed hormones by showing off his naked chest and delicious abs and two: it's so damn unfair , why can guys parade their boobs out in public and not girls? No one cares if a man shows off his man boobs (and pecs are boobs, okay? They have nipples, they're boobs), but everyone freaks out when I woman shows of her breasts (mostly when a mom is feeding her baby.)

It wasn't such a problem before wings, but now it was a pain to find a shirt that fits.

"Did he have some kind of symbol on his robe or anything?" he asked.

"I think there was a bird." I said. "He kept talking about a Phoenix."

"Phoenix? Are you sure Raven?" He said. He sounded scared, but I didn't care. I'm tired.

"Uh-huh." I yawned. I snuggled back under the covers. He sighed, but didn't bother to get me up again.

I heard a scraping sound and looked up. Dominic took Grandma Redbird's dream catcher and took off the middle feather and was replacing with one of his own.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"My feather will help project you." He leaned up and put the dream catcher back.

I sighed. I really don't care right now. He kissed my temple. "Sleep well, Raven."

"I'm trying." I mumbled.

He squeezed my hand tightly before leaving. I cracked open an eye to see him turn into threads of darkness and slip out of the window.

Weird.

XOXOXOXOXOXXO

My alarm blared, literally scaring the shit out of me. I thumped the snooze button and stretched.

"Ow! Ow!" I rubbed my chest. The bruise was still a blueberry stain color. I took a deep breath but nothing hurt. So stretching was not okay, but breathing was perfectly okay. Which, I guess was good because breathing is kinda vital, but stretching is really nice.

I got up and pulled on a dress with a low back, seriously wishing I could walk around with my boobies hanging out. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I still can't get over how different I looked. Even in a cute little sundress, I still looked exotic and kinda of badass, well, as badass as a dark haired, golden eyed, Cherokee/whatever ethnicity Kalona is, eighteen year old winged girl in a cute purple sundress can look.

I walked over and was surprised to see that Skye was still sleeping.

"Come on baby, wake up." I said. She raised her head and opened her jaws in a huge yawn.

I picked her up and walked down into the kitchen.

"Morning Raven."

"Morning." I waved to the sleepily eyed kids.

I feed Skye and then myself because there's no way she would have let me eat in peace if she hadn't been feed first. She still pranced over the table and made all sorts of sounds at me while I indulged myself in some Captain Crunch.

"You're going to school with us, right?" Damian asked.

"Yep. I didn't get to pillage the library yesterday." I said slurping my milk.

"You're sure you're up to going with us?" Stevie Rae asked.

"If I wasn't, then I wouldn't be out of bed." I said. I tickled Skye under the chin. She attacked my hand and mouthed my wrist. I rolled her other and shook her and bah-ed at her.

"Shouldn't you be concerned about that?" Aphrodite asked, nodding at my wrist in Skye's mouth.

"She's just mouthing, she's not actually biting." I said. "I probably should get her some dragon proof toys."

Skye warbled at me and scrambled up onto my shoulders. She tugged on my hair.

"Pee break. I'll see you guys at the bus." I grabbed my bag and headed for the outside.

"No way." Stevie Rae said. She hooked elbows with me. "You're not allowed to go out on your own anymore."

I scowled. "Okay, just because I got stabbed once does mean I need to be babysat all twenty four hours in a day."

"You were stabbed in the heart." Rephaim said.

"It wasn't lethal. I'm still alive and around to make sarcastic comments."

Rephaim rolled his eyes and shoved me playfully. "I swear, Ray."

We climbed up and out of the tunnels and back outside. We started heading for the huge mass of building eating bushes when a huge shadow moved towards us.

My muscles tensed and Stevie Rae tensed behind me. Rephaim grabbed my wrist.

A black unicorn walked out.

Black?

Okay, I was pretty sure that unicorns were white. Call me racist or I guess everyone since most unicorns are white and pearly looking in paintings and records. Could you even find a black unicorn via Google?

Its horn was still silver and it still glowed white-ish, although it was more purple-ish than blue. It was really beautiful with a radiant black coat and just looked just a majestic as Cander.

"Whoa." Stevie Rae said.

The unicorn bowed its head. "Hello, young Mediator. It's good to see you well rested and recovered."

"Yeah. I never got a chance to thank you for helping me." I said. "Thank you, a lot."

He flicked his ears, looking a bit embarrassed. "The Guardians are blinded by their Oath to keep the Phoenix safe. It pains me that I was forced to dispose him when he truly was not an evil soul, but you are more important."

Great. I hate being important.

"Okay, can you explain who the Guardians are and what the hell the Phoenix is?" I asked.

"The Guardians of the Phoenix protect the Key of Portals." The unicorn said.

"Then why aren't they called the Guardians of the Key?" Stevie Rae asked.

"At the time, most mortals knew what the Key of Portals was and what it was believed to be capable of. Not all mortals wanted to banish the Immortals or the Immortal beasts." The unicorn flared its wings and looked pissed. "Many mythical beasts were used for dark sorcery and forbidden alchemy. When the Key of Portals was created, it was up to the Mediators to hide it."

I blinked. "Is that why Damascus thinks I can find it?"

He nodded. "You are spiritual connected to all other incarnates of the Mediators. They can contact you and also help aide you in your time of need."

You know what I just realized, I'm kinda like the Avatar from Last Airbender (the cartoon, not the shitty live action). I'm supposed to bring peace to the world between warring factions, communicate with, and have power over the elements. I even have some cool body tattoos.

"The Mediators first tried to destroy it, but no matter what they tried, the energy continued on, appearing in animals or reforming into its crystal form."

"I suppose that's why they renamed it the Phoenix." Rephaim said.

"Yes. After the Mediators were killed, a group of humans and vampyres formed an organization that helped hide not only the Phoenix, but the detailed records of the mythical beasts and Immortals and the stories and myths of the Fae." He said.

"And they're just hogging all this information." I said. How selfish!

"Slowly, they've leaked information. Mostly in fantasy novels or movies, so humans and vampyres wouldn't be entirely shocked if they did see something uncommon."

"Uncommon." I said dryly.

"It's also gotten to the point that humans and vampyres will deny any random encounters with the mythical." He said.

I blinked. "Wait, they've tried to destroy the Key and it wouldn't be destroyed?"

The unicorn nodded. "The Mediators were able to draw the power back into a jewel before the last one was slain."

I shivered. Does being burned alive count as being slain? When I think of slain, I think of swords slicing people in half. Does that make me weird?

"Oh, whoa." Aphrodite said. "A black unicorn." I looked back and saw the rest of the kids had shown up and we're staring in shock at the unicorn.

"Oh whoa!" Shaylin said.

He snorted and drew his ears back.

"Raven, we're leaving a couple of minutes." Darius said. Obviously, he's hard to impress.

"Go pee Skye." I tossed her into a bush. I turned to the unicorn. "Where are you headed?"

"I supposed I better follow you and make sure you don't get into trouble."

Stevie Rae laughed and I scowled at her and the unicorn.

"I don't need to be babysat." I said for the gazillionth time.

No one paid attention to me. I picked up Skye and climbed onto the bus. Snap hopped into my seat and curled up next to me.

Evidently I am going to be babysat today. I sighed.

The unicorn spread its wings and took off into the night sky. I wondered what people would think if they saw a flying, glowing horse. Would they panic and try to kill it? Or stare up in wonder? What would happen to society when mythical beasts were suddenly exposed?

"Ah, hell." Zoey muttered when we got to the House of Night. I peered out the window and saw the High Priestess of Bitchess, Dragon, and some other Erebus peoples.

"Slow down." She begged Darius.

"Yeah, it don't look good." Kramisha said.

"Wow, you would not believe all the colors." Shaylin said. "Eek, and there's the Dead Fish Eye Lady, so gross!"

"Dead Fish Eye Lady-I like that." Aphrodite said. "It suits her."

"Dead Fish Eye Lady is super intuitive." Zoey said.

"And we all decided it's best if she doesn't know much about Shaylin's gift." Stevie Rae said walking up the aisle with Rephaim behind her. "Z, you want to call spirit and ask it to help shield Shaylin's thoughts, at least until we get past Neferet right now?"

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea." Zoey breathed in deeply. "Spirit, come to me. Shield Shaylin. Keep her thoughts private."

"Oooooh!" Shaylin giggled. "That's so cool, and you're super purple when you do that."

"Thanks, I guess." Zoey said. She glanced at the rest of her circle. "You guys keep your elements close, too."

"I think whenever Neferet is around it's an excellent opportunity for all of us to focus our thoughts on academics." Damien said.

"Ew." I said.

"What she said." Shaunee said.

"You are referring about the fashion show that is really school to us, right?" Erin asked.

Damien sighed. "Academics-as in school_work_. For instance, when Neferet is near you should practice memorizing the definitions for your vocabulary words." He looked down at the Twins. "You two should start with the words _miscreants._"

"I have sort of no idea what that means, Twin. What about you?" Erin asked.

"Don't have a clue, Twin." Shaunee said.

"Be still, brain-sharers. Queen Damien has a point. We haven't been around Neferet like this in a while. Everyone needs to focus and keep their thoughts busy-and not busy on our business. Busy on stupid school business." Aphrodite glanced at Rephaim. "Can Neferet read your mind?"

"She cannot." Rephaim said.

"You know that for sure?" Zoey asked.

"Yes." He said.

"How?" Aphrodite asked.

"He doesn't have to explain that to you." Stevie Rae said.

"Yeah, he does." Stark said. "Stevie Rae, you're going to have to stop being so defensive about Rephiam. He used to be on Neferet's side. He might have info we could use."

"I was never on Neferet's side." Rephaim said in a cold tone. "I was on Kalona's side. As were you."

Oh! Burn!

"Whatever the specifics, what we mean is that you were on an opposite side, and that might help us now." Zoey said.

Rephaim's jaw clenched and then relaxed. "I know Neferet can't read my mind because she didn't know about Stevie Rae and me." He took Stevie Rae's hand. Gag me. "I tried not to think about you when she was near, but I couldn't help myself. I thought of you. Often."

Oh God! Disembowel me now! It's just so lovey dovey.

What made it worse was Stevie Rae's dopey smile and her stepping on tippie toe to kiss him.

"Ugh." Aphrodite said. "So, moving on quickly before I puke, it's for sure that Neferet can't read my mind, Zoey's mind, birdboy's and probably Raven's since has that whole Mediator mystical bullcrap. The rest of you need to watch yourselves."

"There is another bus that has just turned into the lane behind us." Darius said. I craned my head around and I saw a regular size bus with House of Night on the side riding along behind us.

What now?

"And it's not short. Why can't we get the normal-sized bus?" Johnny B complained.

"You ain't normal." Kramisha said.

"Your mom ain't-"

"Okay, let's get ready for school." Zoey said.

"Which means get ready for battle." Stark said.

"Park us." Zoey ordered Darius.

He parked and him, Stark, and Rephaim got out to scope it out before the rest of us filed off. Snap wound herself around my ankles and Skye perched the front of her body on my head with her back legs firmly planted on my shoulders.

I'm a winged Immortal in a cute sundress with a dragon hat.

I'm sure I look perfectly wonderful and sexy.

"Merry meet." Zoey said bowing slightly to the Warriors and Bitch Priestess.

"Oh, Zoey, Stevie Rae, I'm glad you and your students arrived with the other bus. It will save explanation time." Neferet said.

My muscles tensed and I felt my magic prickling through my body. The bus pulled to a stop with the rushing sound of the air brakes releasing before the folding doors opened.

Aurox stepped out first followed by…Dallas?

I mean, it looked like Dallas only he had red whipping marks all over his face and a filled in crescent. Did he Change and no one told me? I don't, maybe I didn't pay attention when we were informed of this.

I growled low in my throat when I saw that bitch and the other kids who had me tied up in the tunnels. Skye climbed off my head and head herself behind my hair.

They lined up in front of us. Some of them looked at me with weird looks. Maybe I do look different from being human.

"Dallas," Stevie Rae's voice was high pitched. "What in the Sam Hill are you doin' here?"

Dallas's lip curled. "I don't answer to you." He turned to Neferet and bowed to her. "Merry meet, my High Priestess." The red fledglings mimicked his bow.

Neferet smiled graciously, the power hungry bitch. "What a lovely greeting. Thank you, Dallas." She said in an annoyingly sweet voice. Why can't anyone else see she's so damn fake? I feel unclean being near her.

"I will answer your question, Stevie Rae. What they are doing here is the same thing you are doing here-attending classes. Oh, wait. There is a slight difference between them and your little group. Dallas and his red fledglings will be living here at the school, and I will be their High Priestess."

"Good." I said. "I don't want to have to inhale carrion eater stench twenty-four hours a day."

One of the girls flinched and then frowned at me. "You."

I grinned and let my teeth grow into fangs to snarl lightly before letting the beast slip way so I could grin like an innocent little child. "Yep. How's your wrist?"

Her fingers curled, but she didn't make a move towards me.

They are really just vultures.

"Raven," Neferet said condescendingly. "As the Mediator, I don't feel you should be antagonizing towards other people. You should be promoting peace between these red fledglings and Zoey's group."

I snorted. Really, I couldn't help it. Queen Bitch herself trying to tell me to be civil? She's lucky I didn't burst out laughing.

Instead I looked at her grinning slyly. "Why should I waste my time and energy promoting peace between these two groups when it's obvious that they are here to do the exact opposite?" I looked back at them. The bitch leader was glaring at me.

"We're here to learn." Dallas said evenly.

"Then why didn't you show up before?" I asked. "You've had a couple of weeks to continue your education before now."

Rephaim's hand squeezed my arm in warning. Dallas's flickered over to him and his eyes narrowed.

"Is that him?" He asked in a low voice.

"Let me introduce you. Dallas, this is Rephaim. Oh, but, you two have already met, haven't you?" She said obnoxiously sweetly.

His eyes glowed faintly red and I hissed in warning.

_ "Raven." _Snap hissed.

"Yeah, like you said. We've met." Dallas said.

"We have." Rephaim said matching Dallas's cold tone.

"While I have you all together, let me be very clear about something." Neferet said. "There has been unpleasantness between us in the recent past. That is over now. I will have no strife here, be you fledgling or vampyre, red or blue."

Ha ha! No mention of half-breeds. I can continue to misbehave and she can't say shit. Sweet.

"Unpleasantness?" Stevie Rae shouted. "They tried to kill me and Zoey."

"Not to mention the fact I got tied up in a basement." I said.

"Zoey _did _kill some of us!" Dallas snapped. I heard the buzzing of electricity from above us.

"Wait, I didn't want to. Nichole and Kurtis and those guys attacked me and-"

"Enough!" Neferet's shouted. "I said the past is over."

I narrowed my eyes and almost make a comment about how you shouldn't completely dismiss the past as it usually caused mistakes to be repeated and people to not learn from the past to improve the future and such. Here, forgetting the past was definitely not a good idea. It needed to be resolved not forgotten.

But I didn't say this, even though probably should, but I did figure she wouldn't listen. She's kinda has lost that ability.

"Stevie Rae and Zoey, if you cannot control yourselves then you will be expelled from this school. Dallas, the same foes for you. Aurox and the Sons of Erebus Warriors will be patrolling the halls and classrooms. If any violence breaks out they will end it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." I breathed.

Neferet glared at me for a second before she smiled coldly. "Good. Now, get to class." She whirled around and walked away like she was gliding on water. I saw the nasty blood filled darkness clinging to her.

"There's Darkness all around her." Stark said in a low voice.

"She's totally engulfed in it." Rephaim confirmed.

"Absolutely." Stevie Rae said. She looked at the Warriors. "Don't y'all not see it? It's like sticky spider webs." She jerked her thumb at the bad red fledglings. "I'll bet they can see it."

"Don't know what the hell you're talking about." Dallas said.

"Do you still have imaginary tea parties in the basement with your dollies?" The bitch leader said.

The other fledglings and Dallas laughed.

"No. We go out flying with dragons and feed unicorns." I said. Skye peered out from behind my head and chittered grouchily at them.

Why couldn't I have a camera to record their faces? It was priceless.

I heard a loud whooshing sound and turned to see the black unicorn spreading his wings as he landed neatly onto the ground. He tossed his head and snorted. He looked at the red fledglings and then at me.

"Glad you stayed out of trouble."

"Gods! You all act like I taunt trouble to mess with me." I complained. I glanced at the bad apples, but they were too dumbfounded by the unicorn to be paying much attention to anything else. Even the Warriors looked awed. I guess Warrior training doesn't prepare them for unicorns. "I already get that from them." I jerked my thumb at my group. "And the cat." I nudged Snap with my calf.

"You guys can stop gawking now." Aphrodite said with a huff. "It's just a unicorn. Freaky half-breed girl there attracts all kinds of mythical beasts."

I blinked. "Wait, how did you know I was in trouble?"

"The Huntress of the Moon sent me." He said.

"Oh." I said. Good to know Artemis was still looking out for me.

His ears twitched and he gazed at Aurox. He had a suspicious look in his eyes.

Skye squawked loudly. I tickled her chin. "I'm heading to the library." I shot at a look at Stevie Rae. "Okay?" She didn't protest, although I left before she really could.

The unicorn followed after me.

"You never told me your name." I said just realizing all I could refer to him as the black unicorn.

"Dark Moon." He said.

I nodded.

"The creature. Did you know he wasn't…real?"

"What do you mean, real?"

"He wasn't born. He was made." Dark Moon said.

My skin prickled. "What is he?"

"Humans call them golems. But he is infused with evil, dark energy. I doubt he was made solely by mortal power. There is something odd though. I do sense that some good energy was put into him." Dark Moon said.

I strolled in silence thinking about what he said. Yes, Aurox was weird, but I didn't think he wasn't…real.

The library was actually easy to find and looked really awesome. The one thing I liked about this school was how old fashioned it looked. I always loved old fashion things rather than ridiculous looking modern buildings. I think was this was made out of old stone and felt solid and warm whereas glass and steel always came off cold and always looked weird.

Maybe it was my old soul or my connection to the old ways that had me leaning towards the older building designs and objects modeled after old fashion things.

"Well, wish me luck." I told Dark Moon.

He nodded. "Good luck, young Mediator."

I smiled and pushed my way inside.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

Ha Ha! The evils of writer's block could not hold me back this time! Oh, he tried (I don't know why I picture Writer's block as he, but I do), but I triumphed and gave you this chapter! Even if there are some parts that seem awkward. XP. Not to worry, it's probably just me since I will never be satisfied with my own work. Anyway, enjoy!


	11. Chapter Ten

I sighed and thumped my head onto the table. I had a headache and was seriously thinking about just burning all the books in the library so I never have to look at one again.

Skye yawned and pawed my hand. She chittered at me.

"We just took a potty break." I told her.

She moaned and put her head on her paws. She thumped her tail in irritation and then lifted her head to warble at me.

The librarian was really nice and helped me find the books that would most likely contain some kind of Mediator reference whether as a myth or legend. I had staked claim on a table with all the books spread out and a notebook filled with…doodles.

Yeah, I haven't found crap. There's was no reference to a random vampyre priestess who talked to trees or water. No mention of one of them talking to immortal beasts or having contact with them. Sure there some mention of immortal beasts, but no details about the eating habits or anything scientific relate to them or anything that could help a foster dragon mommy.

No mention of the Key of Portals/Phoenix.

"Those Guardian guys did a good job." I mumbled. Stupid Guardian guys. Honestly.

I jerked when a hand touched my shoulder. The librarian, Sappho I think, smiled gently at me. "It's lunch hour for the other kids. You look like you could use a break."

I sighed. Skye warbled and stood up. I glared at her. Traitor.

"That sounds like a good idea." I said as my stomach grumbled. Three against one, Raven loses. I started picking up my stuff.

"Leave it. I'll make sure no one bothers it." She said.

"Thank you." I said picking up Skye and my bag.

I pushed the door open and started for the dining hall place. Dark Moon was nowhere to be found, but the last couple of potty breaks he's been MIA. My guess is he wanted food or he probably got tired of kids pointing at him so he found a nice quiet place to hang out. Snap was also MIA.

Honestly, epic speeches have been made about how I can't take care of myself and _need _to be babysat and she vanishes! God, I hate cats.

"Hey Ray!"

I looked up and saw Zoey waving at me with Stark just standing there.

I skipped over to them. "Hiya!"

"Found anything?" Zoey asked.

"No." I said. "There was nothing." I shrugged. "Can't say I'm surprised."

"Maybe we should Indiana Jones it and find their secret library and pillage their secret knowledge." Stark said.

"Are you a secret history professor?" I asked. "If so, you're doing a great job hiding that fact." I yanked the dining hall door and held it open for them to go in.

"Oh! Spaghetti!" I said darting forward toward the buffet place. I put Skye onto the ground before I grabbed a tray.

She warbled at me.

"I'm getting food." I told her while I grabbed a plate to fill with spaghetti. God, I miss fake Italian food. Or was spaghetti real Italian?

I grabbed a couple of breadsticks and garlic bread. I looked for anything that might be dragon food. I had fed her, but I wondered what else dragons could eat. Did dragon's having any allergies?! I need a dragon manual!

I walked over to the group's booth with eyes all over me. It made my skin prickled. Honestly, am I that freaky compared to what else has been roaming around here lately?

I plunked down and Skye hopped on top of the booth's headrest to peer over my shoulder.

"Spaghetti." Zoey sighed as she sat down. "And brown pop and cheesy garlic bread. Seriously, yum."

"Yep." I said before shoveling a bite into my mouth.

"I know." Stevie Rae said happily. "I missed the food lots!"

"It's good." Rephaim said around a mouthful of food.

"So do birds eat spaghetti?" Aphrodite asked as she settled into her seat.

"He isn't a bird." Stevie Rae said, sounding borderline pissed off.

I rolled my eyes and shoved another bite into my mouth.

"Not this second he isn't." Aphrodite said before putting a delicate bite into her mouth.

Damien rushed over and shoved next to Aphrodite, who gave him an irritated looking before scooting over. "Okay, ohmygod. I've been dying to talk to you guys. What is Thanatos doing here?"

"Thanatos is here?" I asked with my mouth kinda of full.

"Hello, checked your mailbox lately?" Aphrodite waved a piece of paper around.

"I don't have a mailbox." I said. Skye leaned over and sniffed at my next bite. I brought it closer for her to properly sniff. She sniffed and sneezed. Little puffs of smoke and sparks came out. I wonder if I should be concerned about that.

"My guess," Aphrodite said after glaring at me. "is you'll get the same schedule change I did. The brain-sharers got one."

"Quit calling us that." Shaunee said as she walked over.

"Yeah, we don't share a brain. We share a soul. The two are way different." Erin said.

"Please, like soul-sharing is fine?" Aphrodite said.

"So, what does this schedule change have to do with Thanatos?" I asked.

"Starting Monday Thanatos is teaching a special class first hour." Zoey said. "We'll probably all have schedule changes."

"I do. I checked it before I went into first hour." Rephaim said around another mouthful of food.

"Oh, that what made you so tardy." Damien said. "I didn't want to ask."

"Tardy?" Stevie Rae said. "You know the professors get annoyed at you if you're tardy."

"I'm sure he had a good reason." I said while I ripped a bite off of a breadstick.

"Father was here." Rephaim announced.

"What? Kalona? Here?" Stevie Rae practically squeaked. Kids glanced at them.

"That's right." Aphrodite said, voice raising and looking more annoyed every second. "Barcelona is where all the best shoe shopping is-not here. Get a clue, bumpkin." She leaned in to whisper: "Not a good idea to say much about this in public-which means as in anywhere but the tunnels."

"Rephaim, are you okay?" Stevie Rae asked softly.

"Yes. I wasn't alone. Zoey was with me." He answered in the some soft tone.

"Z?" Stevie blinked at her with her big blue eyes.

"He's right. I was with him the whole time. It's okay. Well, as okay as it can be when He Who Cannot Be Named is involved." Zoey whispered.

"Oh for shit's sake. This isn't Hogwarts." Aphrodite said.

"Magic. Dragons. Kitty cats. Even a demonic Dark Lord-ess." I said. "Sounds like Hogwarts to me." I hiccupped.

"I wish it was." Erin mumbled.

"You still care about him. Don't ya?" Shaunee asked.

I shot her a look. Isn't she supposed to make some comment that echoes her 'twin?'

Rephaim nodded.

"Twin? Hogwarts?" Erin asked a little confused.

"Twin, this is more important. Dads are important." Shaunee said.

Um, is there something Shaunee hasn't told us? Something relatively important?

"I didn't know you were close to your daddy." Stevie Rae said.

"I'm not." Shaunee said. "That's why I understand how important they are. Not having one who pays any attention to you doesn't mean you don't wish they were different."

"Huh." Erin said. "I didn't know that bothered you, Twin."

Shaunee shrugged. "I don't like to talk about it much."

"Was he mean?" Erin asked Rephaim.

"No, not very." He said softly.

"I think Aphrodite is right. We need to talk about this when we don't have to worry about being overheard. Right now let's finish lunch and then everyone needs to go to their mailboxes and check for schedule changes, that includes the red fledglings." Zoey said.

"Dallas's group already got theirs," Aphrodite said. "I heard them talking about it in art class."

Stevie Rae's face lost all of its color.

"We'll all be with you." Zoey said. "And Thanatos is a powerful vampyre, a member of the High Council. She's not gonna let anything happen."

"Shekinah was Leader of the High Council, and she got killed her first day here, remember?" Stevie Rae said.

"That was by Neferet and not some douche-bag red fledgling guy." Zoey reminded her.

"The girls are on my nerves, too," Aphrodite said. "That Nicole bitch needs to have her hair pulled out by the roots, which are probably, a different color than the rest of the mess on her head."

"I hate it when I agree with you." Stevie Rae said.

"Whose Nicole?" I asked.

"The bitch with the black hair." Aphrodite said.

"Oh! The one whose hand I tried to bite off." I said.

Everyone blinked at me.

"When they had me tied up in the tunnels, I changed into a panther and bite that girl's wrist cuz she tried to shoot me." I said.

"Nice one, animal girl." Aphrodite said.

Skye yawned and curled up into my lap. I scratched her head.

"Hey Ray," Damien said. "have you found anything in your research?"

"Nope." I said. "No mention of Mediators or anything about them either."

"Well, I was going to the library next hour, so I could help you once I get my booklist filled."

"Kay." I said. "That would be nice. I'm honestly sick of looking at books now."

We just chatted the rest of lunch hour with two figures suspiciously silent. Erin and Shaunee never really talk and Erin kept giving her Twin weird looks.

Surely Shaunee taking this dad thing a little more seriously than Erin wasn't a big deal, right?

Skye chittered and nibbled my dress.

"Me and Skye are going to go for a potty break." I put her on my shoulders and picked up my tray. Rephaim and Damien started getting up and I narrowed my eyes. "I'm on campus with a bunch of Sons of Erebus warrior guys and other people and a shit ton of horses. I'll be fine, okay?"

Damien sighed.

"It's not like those guys are just going to let me get killed or kidnapped." I argued. "And you guys are right here. I won't go that far."

"You shouldn't be that stubborn." Rephaim said.

"You're being stubborn, too." I shot back. "Here." I spun a thread of shadows and light and tied it around Rephaim's wrist. "If I get in trouble, this'll let you know." I tied the other end around mine.

I walked away with the thread trailing after me. Honestly, there wasn't anything to worry about. I highly doubt the Guardians or even Damascus would take me from campus. I think it would be too difficult for them to take me away quietly and people would probably get pissed, magical or not, two legged or four alike.

I walked around until I found a large of bushes that wasn't near the heart of campus so nobody would care if Skye did her business here.

I put her down and she darted into the bushes.

I got this creepy feeling I was being watched. My eyes immediately looked at the shadows, expecting Dominic to be shadow stalking me, more like hoping, but I'm just going to say that I was just expecting him to show up like some creepy, sexy stalker.

Light gathered on my palms and I held my palm up and out. Soft, bubbly looking orbs floated over and touched the shadows. I heard a hissing sound and then a scuttling sound as a thick shadow shot up and over the wall.

Weird.

Skye tugged my dress and I picked her up. I walked backwards staring at were that thing disappeared. I didn't feel comfortable turning my back to the wall right now.

I know that Rephaim and the others just wanted me to be safe, but to be honest they would probably just hurt. Especially Rephaim. He was just a kid! I mean, look what happened to my parents when they got in the way. I don't have much heart left to break right now.

I finally made myself turn around and walk properly. But my back was still prickling and my head kept trying to turn to look behind me.

I rounded a corner and then my heart and stomach clenched.

There was no sound. None.

I couldn't hear the night sounds or the sounds of the horses in the pasture, I mean there was no sound, only the painfully loud gasps that were coming out my body as I started to panic. Skye chittered and shot down my dress.

"Skye." I said as she tried to stuff herself into my bra again. Maybe I should wear a D-cup just so she can hide there when she needs to.

I guess that also brings up the question why she thinks my bra is a safe place to hide, but I guess since she can't talk yet, I'll never know.

I heard a shuffling sound and turned around.

Okay, everyone knows what a demon supposedly looks like right; horns, a tail, cloven hooves, and weird crazy sometimes red or burnt looking skin and bat wings?

Uh, yeah. I'm staring at one of those suckers right now.

It had no eyes, just empty sockets, and its skin was more gray than black or red. It started towards me with its fingers curled like claws.

"No."

It actually paused.

"Look, if you attack me in an effort to capture me or to kill me then my friends and brother will never get off my case and I'll never get to go anywhere alone again. So, could you not attack me and just be on your merry way?" I asked with a grin.

It stood there for a second and then shook its head and snarled at me. It lunged towards me and I skipped out the way of it trying to plunge its talon into my stomach.

"Fine! Then I'll just kick your ass!" I shouted before throwing a light ball at him.

Maybe I should come with cool names for my attacks like they do in Digimon or Inuyasha because it obviously makes them more powerful otherwise badasses like Sesshomaru wouldn't shout out the name of his attacks.

I felt the thread squeezed my wrist and looked down to see a pulsing light shoot down its length.

Great, now I was getting babysat for the rest of my existence.

The demon thing shot at me again with a snarl. It lashed its huge claws trying to rip me apart. I lashed out with waves of light energy since it was a demon so it probably hates light.

"Skye, you need to get out." I said through gritted teeth. I smacked the demon with large light blast and then got Skye out of my bra. "Go find Rephiam!"

She slunked along the wall and stayed there though staring at the demon with her bright blue eyes.

I bared my teeth and snarled at it. "Leave now!"

Red-black flames shot from its claw and grazed my shoulder. It shot towards me and raked it's talons against my side.

I threw a ball of dark energy instead and it darted back with an angry hiss.

Skye started crying and I turned to see her focused on something I couldn't see. It looked like she was calling to something invisible.

A picture darted across my mind. It was thick web and I could see Rephaim, Stark, and others trying to get through it.

I spread my arms and arcs of light and darkness shot from my body and sliced with reddish-black webbing that suddenly appeared around me.

"Raven!"

Something hit my chest and I was flying backwards. I landed on the ground in an explosion of extreme pain. My entire chest was on fire and I couldn't breathe. I coughed and tried to get some oxygen in around the fire.

"Raven!" Rephaim was suddenly in front of me.

"Gods! You're going to wear out my name." I gasped. I looked through my veil of hair to see a bunch of Warriors trying to slice the demon with their swords, but the swords exploded when they touched it. Stark fired an arrow, but it burst into flames as soon as the tip touched it.

I struggled to stand up with Rephaim helping me when I heard a woman's voice whispering across my mind.

_"Demons are created from rage and destruction. Only sympathy and creation can destroy it."_

I blinked and suddenly my chest didn't hurt as bad. I stood up straight and my power quivered around me.

I began shouting in Latin. I was using my super Raven voice and sounding uber scary and super pissed off.

"Abet malus spiritus. Ab voce naturae, ego impero te abire huic ludo et redire ad profundum ex te venivisti!"

Energies swirled around me and I was surprised Rephaim was sticking around because it felt super scary and I was the one casting the damn spell. The demon stopped paying attention to the Warriors. It snarled at me, but it sounded like it was awfully scared. It leaned away like it was ready to blot.

I threw my hand out and the rainbow of energies shot out and made a pentagram around the demon. A ring of runes encircled the star and it spun around with dizzying speed.

It roared and a soft song began coming from the runes. It squealed with fear as magical vines shot up and curled around it. Its movements became slowed like it was freezing until it finally stopped moving. The vines curled tightly and burst the stone demon into itty bitty fragments.

The sing stopped and the vines curled back down into the pentagram and it vanished.

Then I fainted.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

DISCLAIMER: the banishing spell used in this fanfiction is not real, the author made it up. If you are experiencing negative influences contributed by a demonic entity, please, find an expert who knows what the hell they are doing (no pun intended.)

As usual, please read and review so I can get better with my writing and learn, but don't be mean. Mean people will be tortured by the people eating Peeps who dwell in the realms of hell.


	12. Chapter Eleven

"Put me down." I said to the random Son of Erebus who was carrying towards the infirmary.

"You fainted."

"Yeah, from over exhausting my powers." I said squiggling. "The vampyres in the infirmary aren't going to be able to help me out. So just put me down so I can go do something useful."

He wouldn't put me down. I flared my wings causing him to lose his grip on me and me to fall out of his grip. I skipped out of his reach.

Skye chittered angrily at him before bounding over to me. I knelt down and caught her in my arms.

"Raven." Dragon grumbled. "You need to go to the infirmary and get a look at that scratch."

I had almost forgotten about that demon scratching me. I glanced down and saw that the blood was still oozing out.

"It's not lethal." I said. I touched it and it burned. Yeah it stung, but it was burning hot to the touch. Weird, or I guess not since it was a demon.

There was a great whooshing sound and I turned to see Dark Moon trotting towards us.

He shielded and his nostrils flared. He drew back his ears.

"What?"

"Has there been a demon spotted?" He asked. His ears swiveled around.

"Yeah, he attacked me." I pointed to the three claw marks.

His horn glowed as he lowered it til the tip touched my side. I gasped as white hot pain burned through me and the three cuts boiled and fizzled. A sulfurous smell filled the air and the only mark left were three slim, white lines.

I looked at Dragon. "See, I'm fine."

He gave me a look of disproval. He turned to the unicorn. "Great one, you seemed surprised that a demon was here."

He looked around. "This place is full of learning, of life, and of the power of a goddess of creation. The spirit here is the exact opposite of a demon and it should not be able to enter this place unless something has tainted this school enough to damage this spirit."

My first thought was Neferet. How long has she been High Priestess here anyway?

"There have been many innocent deaths lately…"

Dark Moon shook his mighty head. "No. This evil has been tainting this school for many years for that creature to have been allowed into this place." He held his head and looked straight at the Sword Master. "I suggest you listen very closely to your instincts to find and deal with this evil or more harm will come to the Mediator or to the students here you have sworn to protect."

"Why did it attack me anyway?" I asked quietly. "If it was a demon and feeds on destruction and chaos, why didn't it kill me?" Hello! Bringer of peace and all around nice things.

"There are those out there who believe that if they have control over you, then they will control the new future you are destined to bring."

I blinked rapidly. "There are people out there who think they can control me?"

"There are those who have the arrogance to believe that they can control any and all creatures." He said.

I snorted.

"Raven!"

I turned and was almost toppled over by a blonde, countrified tornado.

Rephaim was right behind her. So that's where he and the other guys ran off to. The rest of the circle followed quickly behind. Stark had his bow notched with an arrow and Darius followed behind him, looking all tense and Warrior like.

I blinked. I turned to Dark Moon. "Why didn't their weapons work?"

"It was a creature of destruction. It feeds off of war and death."

"Our weapons are used to protect." Dragon said.

"Have they been charmed or purified?" Silence. "Or perhaps made from silver that had been blessed by your goddess?" More silence. "Then the swords are, by default, made for war and death."

"Then how do we fix that to help protect our students if another one of those creatures attacks again?" Dragon asked.

"Not until the Mediator is rested. She can purify the metal."

"I can?" This was news to me-I think. Didn't I technically purify that demon?

"Of course. The two young Priestesses can as well." He nodded to Zoey and Stevie Rae. "But it would be easier if we waited until you were rested enough to participate."

I sighed. "How many more powers can I contain?" I asked it not really expecting an answer, but Dark Moon answered me anyway.

"The Mediator has the powers of a Priestess, of a Warrior, and a Ruler."

"Sucks to be you, Raven." Aphrodite said.

"No kidding." I sighed. I looked at him. "Do I even want to ask why have a shit ton of powers?"

"To protect yourself. I don't think you fully realize your influence on others."

"I can't get Aphrodite to stop cussing, so I think you're just over hyping my abilities." I said.

"Will another one of those creatures attack?" Stark asked. He glanced at Zoey.

"Very doubtful." Dark Moon said. "This realm is not tainted enough to allow more than a couple of demons into its folds."

I shivered.

"Well, how much longer until it reaches that point, oh horned one." Aphrodite asked.

Dark Moon snorted and puffed up in horsey rage. "Do not call me the name of he who lords over all demons." He flared his wings. Darius gripped Aphrodite's arm and even her eyes were wide.

I patted his neck. "I apologize, Aphrodite is stupid and doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut sometimes."

"You're going to wake-up with a pillow over your face." She threatened.

He glared at Aphrodite, but unpuffed himself. "Shouldn't you know the answer, Seer of Future Events? Surely, you, of all people, know that the future is never set in stone."

For once, she was at a loss for words.

"I think it time you all returned to class." Dragon said. "This is a place of learning, as the unicorn has said."

"I guess I better head back to the library."

"I'll walk you." Stark said.

"It's just a short walk." I argued.

"You left for a potty break earlier." Darius reminded me.

"Yeah, but Dark Moon said no more demons so I'll be fine." I said. I pointed at Dark Moon. "He said that I had the powers of a Warrior so I don't need to be babysat by another."

"Your skills are not honed." Dragon said.

I let out a sharp breath. "If I am shadowed, then that just means they have to take him down before me or to separate us. If those things want me, then they only go _through _me. No one else."

I whirled around before anyone could say anything and stalked for the library.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"You have experienced a great loss."

I glanced up at Dark Moon. He peered over Hecate's stall, watching as I brushed her.

Damian eventually joined me and tried to help me find any information, but we came up with nada. Once he left I had no energy or heart to continue reading. I packed up my stuff and Skye and headed for the stables.

"How can you tell?"

"The way you treated the others. You fear losing them, so you continue to push them away."

I ignored him.

"Pushing them away won't help." Dark Moon said. "They will, without thought, put themselves in between you and any danger."

I continued to ignore him. Yeah, I knew they still would (they were way too f-ing noble for their own good), but that didn't make me feel any better. They were pretty much just a meat shield for anything else terrible who wished to claim me.

And that fucking pissed me off! I hope whatever came after me next knew exactly what they were getting into!

Hecate snorted and lipped my skirt. I patted her neck.

"You should go riding."

I jumped. I don't know how Lenobia sneaks around so easily and I would love to learn how she does it. She jingled the bridle in her hand.

"Why should I go riding?" I asked. Hecate's ears perked at riding. I patted her rump.

"It'll help relax you." She set the bridle on the stall wall and then heaved a not Western saddle on top of it. The only saddle I know about is Western saddle, so I have no idea what this saddle is. English maybe?

I chewed my tongue. Hecate nudged my elbow.

_"Please."_

I sighed and grabbed the saddle blanket and threw it on her back. I buckled the saddle and bridle under Lenobia's watching eyes before leading her down the aisle into the field house.

I put my foot into the stirrup and was about to hoist myself up when Skye gave an angry squeal.

"What?"

She tugged at my skirt.

"You can't ride with me." I said.

She squalled. I groaned and picked her up. I shoved her onto my shoulder and pulled myself onto the saddle. I took the reins in my hands and gave Hecate's sides a little nudge. She took off around the field house. I did find myself loosing up and relaxing, until Hecate started for the jumps.

"Whoa." I tugged her reins. "Um, you do know that I'm not much of an equestrian, right?"

She snorted. _"How do you think you'll learn how to become a good one?"_

"By starting off slow, like just riding and stuff?" I said.

She snorted, but turned away from the jumps and headed for the open door. The crisp air greeted us and it did wonders for my headache. I spotted the gang over in the corral with the cowboy and his horse. I nudged Hecate in that direction with a thought.

"Hey, Raven." Zoey said.

I pulled Hecate to a stop and hopped down. My legs felt like jelly and it took me a minute to get stable. Skye hopped off my shoulders and chittered at me.

"If you didn't really want to ride, then you should have stayed put." I patted Hecate's neck.

"Wow! A trail ride? Like cowboys used to do? That'd be awesome." Ant said. He turned to gaze at Lenobia, who was standing next to Zoey. "Professor Lenobia, could we really?"

"Field trip?" I asked. Hecate perked up her ears. "Cool!"

"Ray, you probably shouldn't go." Rephaim said kindly.

I kinda ignored the fact he said it nicely. "Oh, right. Because I attract danger so badly I can't even leave the school grounds except to go home." I glared at him. "What the hell! I probably shouldn't even be outside." I grabbed Hecate's reins. "I'm going to brush my horse unless that's too dangerous." I turned away and led Hecate back into the stable. I took off her tack and began brushing her.

Okay, yeah, I probably blew up a little too much there, but I'm just in grumpy Raven mode right now so, mean shit is just going to spew out of my mouth.

I began brushing Hecate and trying to calm back down even though pissed off thoughts were bouncing around in my head.

Yes, I understand that I've been attacked twice in the past twenty-four hours and one almost killed me, but they don't need to lock me in a room or have a posse of people follow me around. I might as well just have Damascus kidnap me. At least I would get to take over the world.

"Raven, sweetie?"

I turned to see Damien peering into the stall. He looked scared that I might blow up at him. I haven't decided if I will or not.

"Yeah?" I sounded tired, which I was.

"We're getting ready to head home." He said softly.

"Kay. I'll be there soon." I said.

"Kay." He said and he did leave which is a bonus, I guess.

I gave Hecate a pat and gathered up the tack and the grooming stuff. Skye chittered as she followed me into the tack room to put up the horsey stuff. I picked up my bag and slung it on my shoulder. I scooped up Skye and made my way out of the stables.

Snap appeared out of nowhere to walk beside me.

When I got to the entrance I saw that Zoey, Stark, the nerd herd, Rephaim, Aphrodite, Darius, and Shaylin were chatting waiting for me and the others to show up. My stomach clenched. Oh boy. I swear if they lecture me I'm going to explode.

"Hey Raven." Zoey smiled at me.

"Hey." I said. Skye tugged my hair and warbled at me. "I can't feed you right now. We'll get some food when we get home." She chittered and stared at the bus. "We can't leave yet."

She grumbled and stood on top of my head to give a loud cry.

"Oh." I took her off my head. "Stop it. You won't starve to death in the next few minutes." She grumbled and squawked at me as she climbed back onto my shoulders. I scratched under her chin.

"Ray," Rephaim started.

"If you're going to go on about my reckless behavior, don't bother. I know I'm rash and drive head first into things, but there's not much I can do about it. I do appreciate the concern, really I do, but you guys need to back off. I'm feeling smothered."

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Hey Mediator, I would kinda of like a nice future where I'm not six feet under or become a second class citizen because the fucking Immortals take over. So, you're going to have to suck it up and let some Warrior babysit you because you attract danger like a fucking magnet."

I crossed my arms. "Okay, look, no mortal Warrior, vampyre or human, is going to shit against Immortals. All I'll be doing is putting up a fucking meat shield for them to get around and just plow right through, and I'm personally sick and tired of people dying because of me. Kay." I gave her a cheesy smile before returning back to my grumpy Raven face.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "That's what they are suppose do. Keep you safe even at the cost of their own lives." She glanced at her Warrior for confirmation.

"It is true, Raven." Darius said.

"Well, I don't want people dying for me. So, if you can find someone who can't die to protect me, then we'll all get what we want." I said.

She opened her mouth to argue with me again, but, thankfully, Zoey spoke first.

"Look, why don't we talk about this later after we all eat and wind down."

Again, why isn't she the Mediator?! She's so much better about being diplomatic than I am.

The rest of the fledglings finally showed up after what seemed like forever, although it was probably only a few, tense, awkward moments, and we piled into the bus. I took my seat over the wheel hump and Skye squabbled at me.

"We're going home. We'll be there soon." I told her.

She chittered and paced around the empty seat chirping at anyone who looked at her. Like they could feed her.

"Can't you shut her up?" Aphrodite bitched.

"She's hungry. If you haven't noticed, she's a baby and babies whine when they're hungry." I scratched her horns and moaned pitifully at me. "We're going to be there soon."

She nibbled my hand and I tickled her chin. She moaned and thumped her head down on my arm.

My skin started prickling as we got closer to the depot. I don't why, it might be because Skye decided to nibble on me and my nerves were panicking because I was getting nibbled on or it might be a pinched nerve. I don't know. It was weird, but I was weird so…it was of no real concern to me until I learned why my skin was prickling.

We parked and nothing scary was lurking around that we could see so we all piled off like there was nothing wrong.

And then a huge shadow popped out of nowhere.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOOXOX**

BWHAHAHAHAHA! CLIFF HANGER! And yes, I know I'm evil.


	13. Chapter Twelve

I jumped and I immediately felt my elements rushing through me and I was aware of the others summoning their elements or taking up arms when the shadow spoke to us.

"I mean you no harm."

My heart lurched when I recognized the accent.

Another robes guy stepped out from the shadows. He was taller than the other one, but had the same robe with the purple bird, which I guess would be a Phoenix. Wait, now I may be racist (okay, what would be technical term for prejudice against varying colors of fur and feathers because isn't that different from prejudice from skin color?) but just like the unicorns I thought Phoenixes were one color: red. How can a Phoenix be purple? Do purple flames exist in real life? Am I just stupid?

"You are one of the Guardians of the Phoenix, are you not?" Darius asked.

He nodded. "Yes. I understand that the Mediator has already had a run in with us."

"Uh, yeah." I said. "He gave me this nice bruise." I pulled down the top of the dress to show him my blueberry stain looking bruise. The raised line looked smaller so I guess I was healing and now that I think about it before that meanie head demon smacked me my chest hadn't hurt either.

"I must apologize for my brother." He said. "He acted without the consent of our Elders. We had not reached an agreement on what is to be done about the threat to the Phoenix."

"So he just drove over here to try and kill Raven because your 'Elders' hadn't made up their minds on whether or not you should kill Ray?" Aphrodite sneered.

"There are some who think that killing the Mediator will protect the Phoenix." He said slowly. "But some of us think that would only make things worse because there would be no one else to stand against these Immortals and who could communicate with the beasts who have found their way into this realm." He nodded towards Skye who was perched on my shoulders and chittering anxiously. I scratched her head. "As I've said, our Elders had not come to an agreement when my brother attacked."

"Wait, you said 'had.'" Damien said. "Does that mean your Elders came to an agreement?"

The Guardian nodded.

Shit.

"They concluded that killing the Mediator would not help protect the Phoenix and would drive this realm into sheer chaos."

Great! Even more people telling me that my death would equal utter chaos for the people of this world. I guess I'm not allowed to grow old now. I don't know if that sucks or not.

"So I take it that you guys aren't going to try and kill me again, correct?" I asked.

"That is correct, young Mediator."

"Good. Now I only have two on my list of wants me dead." I said.

"How do we know that you won't come after her again?" Rephaim asked.

"I give you my word as both a Guardian of the Phoenix and a vampyre under the rule of Nyx that none of my brother or sisters will attempt the harm the Mediator while she remains in the service of Nature." He said.

"And I will hold you and the rest of the Guardians to your word." I said.

He nodded. "As a gesture of peace I have brought a small collection from the Sacred Library that you may find useful." He withdrew a thick book from the folds of his robes.

I glanced at the others before crossing the distance between us and the Guardian. I took the thick leather book from him.

"You are so young." He said softly. I glanced up and his sapphire eyes were kind and very weary looking.

"Duh. I'm not even nineteen yet." I said.

"I mean your soul is very young. When we heard you were a reincarnate, we thought we would have gotten a very old soul or even a reincarnation of one of the first Mediators."

I shrugged. Why didn't a reincarnation of one of the Mediators take this job instead of me? "Sorry. Nothing much either of us can do about it."

"No. I guess not." He said quietly. He bowed. "Good-bye, young Mediator." He turned and walked away.

I flipped open the cover and saw printed across the title page: The Complete Guidebook to Dragon Care and Identification.

"Sweet!"

"What?" Damien rushed up to peer over my shoulder.

"It's a book on dragons." I said starting to flip through the pages. Brilliant paintings of colorful and glittering dragons filled the pages alongside neat script and there were folded pieces of paper tucked into the pages.

Skye howled and tugged my hair.

"All right. All right. Food first, knowledge later." I snapped the book shut and marched for the ladder.

Things quickly relaxed and the gang began laughing and chatting as we made our down into our tunnels. I made a beeline straight for the kitchen. I set the book down and began cooking Skye her dinner. And yes, she chittered and squawked under my feet the entire time. I swear, I have not had this dragon long enough for her to be this spoil and demanding.

"Do you mind?" Damien asked pointing to the book.

"Nah. Go ahead." I strained the meat from the milk and put the milk into her bottle.

He began flipping through the pages and paused at the ones with paper tucked in them. He pulled those out and spread them in front of him to read.

I slipped around Johnny B, who was busy cramming as many Cheetos as his cheeks could hold into his mouth, and grabbed a plate for the meat. I filled it up with little hamburger balls and grabbed her bottle. She chittered excitedly as I plunked down onto the ground to feed her.

"That is so gross." Aphrodite said wrinkling her nose at the milk soaked meat.

"Good thing it's not for you then, huh?" Skye curled up into my lap and began suckling.

"Oh wow." Damien said.

"What?"

"He gave you more than just a manual on dragons." Damien said. He waved a picture of a winged woman around. Zoey took it.

"Wow." She showed me the picture.

A woman with black wings spread and her gold hair spun around her was painted in such a way it looked like she was in the middle of battle. She held one white sword, to be honest it looked more like a giant icicle, and a one black one in her hands. Her black robes were frozen in a swirling motion around her and the artist had painted a soft aura of light coming off her skin. Silver lines curled around her arms, neck, and face and in the middle of her forehead was a silver five point star. Under the painting, written in a neat cursive was: Asterina, the Star.

"What the hell does it mean by the Star?" I asked. I reached for the pictures and Skye squalled and grabbed my wrist with her talons. "Oh fine." I drew back and let her to keep suckling.

"There's some writing on the back." Damien said.

Zoey flipped it over to the back. "'Asterina was the last Star to ever be seen in the Immortal and Mortals realms. As a Star, she had power over all five basic elements and when she re-taught magic to mortals they created a protective charm in the shape of a five point star known as the Pentagram, which symbolized all five of the basic elements. Along the five basic elements, she also had the power of the two great elements: darkness and light.'"

"Whoa. Really sucks to be her." I said.

Zoey gave me a look.

"Continue." I said thinking that's what her look was about.

"That's it." She said. "It just stops there."

"It continues with this page." Damien handed over another painting. This time it had the Star and black winged man with blonde hair.

"'The Star and her eternal mate.'" Zoey read. She then flipped it over. "'Asterina used her magic to create the Mediators and by doing so infused a bit of herself with them.'"

"Uh, freaky." Skye belched and I began handing her the meat.

"'The greatest trait of hers that was infused with the Mediators was the fact that Stars have only one love for all eternity.'" Zoey blinked. "Wow, I'm sure on whether or not to pity you or not."

"At least I won't have boys troubles." I mumbled. The first thought when I heard one love was Dominic. I. Am. Pathetic. Honestly, first guy I see half naked and I'm all weak kneed and romantic and lovey dovey and all that stupid love stuff. Don't fall in love kids, it makes you stupid.

"'All Mediators would have one mate and they would be spiritual bonded so that they would find one another over dimensions and lifetimes.'"

"Whoa." Stevie Rae said. "That Star magic sure got some kick to it. Could you imagine being so bonded to one another that not even dimensions could tear you apart?" She glanced at Rephaim.

"I've heard of Stars before. They are very rare and are often only born every million or so within one dimension." Rephaim said. "Often they come when all other hope has been lost."

"So I guess our situation here in this realm isn't that bad because I haven't seen a Star." I said.

"I guess then we better hope we never do." Zoey said. She set the paper down.

"Why is that even in the book of dragons?" I asked.

"I was on a page of famous dragons and there was a mention of a blue forest dragon called Skye who was Asterina's dragon."

I blinked. "Well now that I know I'm infused with her magic I'm not weirded out that I nicknamed Silverdream Skye. Wait, why did he stick it into this book? Why couldn't he give me the book about the history of Mediators?"

"Why are you questioning us?" Aphrodite said. "We didn't give you the moldy book."

"It's not moldy." Damien and I said at the same time.

"What is a forest dragon?" Stark asked.

Damien flipped through the book. "'Forest dragons are classified as dragons who dwell within the deep woods. They are slimly built and have great control over their fire breath.' I guess that would make since they live in a wooden home." He mumbled. "'They are the more common of the dragon breeds and are often the ones who interact with Upwalkers. They are also favored by Dragon Riders since they are large enough to carry a couple of Upwalkers and do not have many body spikes.'"

"Woo! Eragon exists, sweet!" I shouted.

"Do you think Eragon could have been one of the stories the Guardians are putting out into our world?" Damien asked.

I shrugged. "Are Dragon Riders bond by magical to their dragons?"

He flipped through book. "Dragon Riders." He announced once he stopped. "'Dragons were often used by Immortals and Mortals alike in war.'"

I glanced at Skye who was curled up in my lap and was starting to snore.

"'Dragons would spiritual bond with a specific Upwalker. This bond would allow the dragon and rider to share thoughts, track one another, and to transfer energy.'" Damian paused. "'These bonds are rare, but almost always occur between an Upwalker who raises a hatchling to young adulthood.'"

They all stared at me and Skye.

"What?!" I said.

"What do you think, dragon girl?" She asked.

"Skye might not be a hatchling and it said _almost _always." I said.

Damien started flipping through the book. "'A hatchling is the second stage after eggling and before fledgling. This stage is usually around the two month mark after the eggling's eyes are fully opened and their horns come in.'" He looked at Skye. "She has horns and her eyes are open."

"Again, it said almost always." I said. Yeah, sure being a Dragon Rider might be nice, especially since the wasn't an evil Dragon Rider hell bent on killing me or turning me into one of his soldiers, but wouldn't my head get kinda of crowded with all these spiritual bonded creatures/persons hanging out in there?

"Uh oh." Damien said.

"What?"

"The next stage, the fledgling stage, is when the dragon goes through its major growth spurt. It's marked when the hatchlings pupils become slit. The dragon grows from about the size of an adult cat to roughly its adult size."

"Which is?" I asked.

"It says it varies between the different types of dragon." He said flipping through the pages.

"Not that this isn't interesting." Stark said. "But sunrise is coming up in about an hour and a half and I was pretty sure Rephaim and Zoey had Kalona stuff to tell us."

Damien glanced up and then back at the book with a sad puppy dog face.

"You can read it and then give it to me when you're done." I sighed.

He grinned. "Thank you, Ray!"

I waved at him. "I'm already doing okie-dokie with raising Skye so." I shrugged.

Everyone looked at Johnny B.

"What?" He mumbled around a mouthful of cheesy chips.

"Leave." Kramisha said shooing him out. "Get your silly ass outta here." She stopped at the door and then turned to face us. "No. I ain't leavin."

"Oh, for shit's sake, you have another poem?" Aphrodite said.

"Two." She said starting to dig through her purse. "One came to me in Latin class."

"Latin? Seriously?" Aphrodite said with her typical sneer. "Your English isn't even that great."

"_Non scholae sed vitae discimus." _She said smoothly.

"Uh, we do not learn for school, but for life, right?" I asked.

Stevie Rae blinked. "You know Latin?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Raven used a Latin phrase to banish the demon." Rephaim said.

"I was kinda in Super Raven Mode and that probably had something to do with it." I said.

Kramisha slapped down a piece of paper in front of Zoey. "This one's for you."

"Why?" Zoey asked.

"Don't know, but you're supposed to read it." She handed me another poem. "And this is for you."

I blinked and stared at the poem.

_The White Dragon shall rise_

_ When the Dark doors of Death are opened._

_ Her Light shall pierce the veil Darkness has wrought_

_ And reveal a truth that has been hidden._

_ On the drumbeats of War_

_ The Black Dragon will emerge._

_ Radiate Darkness shall lead the armies of Nature_

_ Against those of Destruction and Evil._

_ Then the Phoenix shall rise and once again take flight_

_ And will cast a ring of Endless Light._

My stomached tightened at the last two lines. Oh boy.

"Hell-o?" Aphrodite asked. "Animal girl."

I read the poem out loud and watched their faces pale.

"The last two lines sound like a portal is going to be opened." Damien said.

This may be egotistical of myself, but I felt like the whole Black Dragon thing was referring to me. I mean, leading the armies of Nature against those of Destruction and Evil? Wasn't that I supposed to do as Nature's Champion/Mediator? But why Black Dragon?

"So, to stop it we just have to stop the White and Black dragon rising." Aphrodite said. "What are they?"

"Something obviously important." I said.

"They could be people." Damien suggested. "Or maybe it's talking about two powerful immortal beasts who will cross into our world and their power will activate the Phoenix."

"Dark Moon talked about how the Phoenix sorta gained a will of its own." I said. "So maybe it'll tear down the veil after certain events occur." I shrugged. "Let's look at Zoey's poem. Maybe it'll give us a hint to what mine is about."

Zoey read her poem out loud.

"_The dividing line forms-fashioned from:_

_ Dragon's tears_

_ Missed years_

_ Overcome fears_

_ The fire and ice paradox_

_ Seen with True Sight_

_ Darkness does not always equate to evil_

_ Light does always bring good."_

Zoey made a look like she was a bit sick to her stomach. "You were right. I was supposed to read this."

"How do you know?" Stark asked.

"The last lines-the part that starts with Darkness-it's what Nyx said to me right before she kissed my forehead and filled in my crescent the day I was Marked."

"Does the rest mean anything to you?" Damien asked.

"Well, I dunno. We all know why Dragon would be crying. The years and fears part could have to do with Dragon, too. Clearly we're gonna have to get Shaylin involved 'cause of the True Sight part, and I'm not even sure what a paradox is." She sighed. "So, in other words, no, I'm clueless about the rest of it."

"I think we can establish that the two poems have nothing in common." I said. I shifted a bit and Skye mumbled and yawned, really, really, _really _cutely.

"Raven's is definitely a warning that the veil is going to fall soon." Damien said. "Zoey's is probably a warning about something that may split up our group since the first line takes about a dividing line. Oh, and a paradox is a statement or a situation that is contradictory, but true."

"Huh?" Zoey asked.

"Okay, an example: the paradox of war is that you have to kill people in order for people to stop being killed."

"Well yeah, it's kinda of hard to kill other people when you're dead." I said.

Damien gave me a look. I just smiled at him.

"The paradox could have something to do with Kalona and Rephaim." Shaunee finally spoke up. She and her Twin had been suspiciously quite the entire time we had been talking even about the dragons.

"What do you mean?" Stevie Rae asked.

"Twin, are you okay?" Erin asked.

"I'm fine." Shaunee said. "What I mean is that it's a paradoxical situation, isn't it? in order for Rephaim to prove he's changed sides and is being good now, he has to turn his back on his dad, and that's something that would usually be considered bad."

"You may have something." Damien said.

"She is fire." Aphrodite said.

"And Kalona is ice." Zoey said.

"But my Twin doesn't have anything to do with Kalona," Erin said.

"Yes, she does." Rephaim said. Everyone stared at him. "She understands how I feel about him, especially after today."

"Rephaim, I know you want your daddy to be a good guy and love you, but you just gotta give up on that." Stevie Rae said in a frustrated voice.

"Please tell her about today." Rephaim asked Zoey.

"Kalona wants a truce with us."

Everyone shouted no ways 'cept for me and Rephaim. After they were done with their examinations of no, Zoey explained in full what had happened during first period. "So, no, I don't think we can trust him, but having a truce with him isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Rephaim needs to keep our business to hisself." Kramisha added after giving Rephaim a hard look.

"Yeah, we've already talked about that. Right, Rephaim?" Zoey asked.

"I won't tell Father our secrets." Rephaim said.

"It's more that, though." Stark said. "It's not a secret that we're living here, but that's something Kalona didn't need to know."

"If it's not a secret Father could have found out anywhere." Rephaim said.

"Yeah, maybe. But did ya ever think that maybe if he really had left Tulsa and was out west somewhere and he thought you were at the House of Night surrounded by Sons Erebus he would have kept flying west and we'd be rid of him?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure. He's going to abandon his entire take over the world base and let's not forget Neferet has _really _pissed him off. Do you really think he would just pick up and leave?"

Stark shrugged. "He might."

"Really, really doubtful." I said.

"Okay, look, like I already said, it's clear that we shouldn't trust Kalona, but I do think that he made a valid point today. If Neferet is immortal and can only be destroyed by herself, then we definitely need help in figuring out how to push her in that direction." She paused and thought for a second before she continued. "I also think we can trust Rephaim, even though he loves his dad."

"Kalona is a ticking time bomb." Stark said.

"So once were you. So once was I." Rephaim said solemnly.

Stevie Rae took Rephaim's hand. "I was a time bomb, too, Rephaim, just like you guys. But all three of us made the choice for Light. Your dady hasn't. Please, you gotta remember that."

"Again, I agree with the bumpkin." Aprhodite said.

"So do I." Erin said. She glanced at Shaunee, but she remained silent.

Could the dividing line refer to the Shaunee and Erin? Shaunee is fire and ice is just frozen water. I mean, a divide in Zoey's circle would be something that would greatly affect all of us and be something that Nyx may feel we should be warned about. But what is exactly pulling them apart? I swear if some catty girl thing I was going to hit both of them until they make-up.

"Well, that's a miracle. Someone call the Vatican." Aphrodite said dryly.

Rephaim reached out and took Zoey's poem. I took mine and folded it up to stick my dress pocket. My hand brushed against the three rips. I could probably sew the rips close and with it being at my waist no one would really notice.

"'Darkness does not always equate to evil. Light does not always bring good.' Maybe things aren't exactly as they appear." He said softly.

"I know one thing that is for sure and exactly as it appears." Zoey said. "I was there in the Otherworld when Kalona asked Nyx if she would forgive him. The Goddess said only after he earned the right to ask. He hasn't earned it, Rephaim."

"Yet." Shaunee said.

"Yet." Rephaim echoed.

"Yet." I agreed. Kalona was once good and I don't believe he's fully renounced his ways quite yet.

"Yet?" Erin shook her head and gazed at her Twin.

"All right, here's the deal: until Kalona earns the right to ask for Nyx's forgiveness, we do not trust him. We can truce with him, but it's under the heading of my enemy's enemy is my friend." Zoey said. "Period, the end."

"But not trusting him doesn't mean not hoping." Shaunee added optimistically.

"No, it doesn't mean that." Zoey agreed.

I shifted. My butt was numb and my bottom leg was seriously asleep as well as my spoiled baby dragon. I was getting tired too. Yes, the food had helped the whole energy deprivation thing after the demon fight.

I just realized that I don't think there's been one night so far this week that I hadn't needed to go to bed early because of over exhausted powers. I was soooo glad it was Friday. Hopefully this weekend will be nice and relaxing and I can recover easily from all those ordeals.

"I won't let you down." Rephaim said softly to Stevie Rae. He then lifted his head to look at the rest of us. "It's like Shaunee said-I can hope, but I won't trust."

"He's going to break your heart." Stevie Rae said.

"Too late to worry about that." He said. "He already did." He suddenly shuddered. "Dawn." He got up and then kissed Stevie Rae. "I must go. I love you."

"I'll go with-" Stevie Rae said starting to get up, but then stopped. "No, you don't want me to. It's okay. I know it's something you have to do alone." She gave him a quick kiss. "Go on before you get caught down here."

Rephaim nodded and took off.

"Huh. So, he turns into a bird? Just like that?" Aphrodite said.

"I change into a panther just like that." I said. "Usually when I get pissed."

"Does it hurt?" Stevie Rae asked.

"Sometimes. Panthers see better than half-breeds and the sensory overload can be overwhelming, but I'm usually too pissed to notice." I shrugged and yawned. "I'm off to bed." I cradled Skye to me. She grumbled in her sleep. "Night everyone." I waved and walked down the tunnels to my staircase.

I sighed and began the slow ascend up into my room. I set Skye on my bed and stretched.

My skin suddenly prickled and my gut clenched. I didn't need Skye suddenly waking up growling to tell me an intruder was in my room.

I whirled around and a half-naked winged guy stepped completely out of the shadows.

"Hello Raven." Damascus said.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

I'm just having oodles of fun keeping you guys hanging over a cliff.

So, as usual if you read I would really like a review.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

He scares me. Neferet, nope not scared of her at all. She's just a big bully who tries to appear stronger than she really is and plus, I think she's a loopy which always makes her a little bit stupid because her thinking is jacked up.

Damascus on the other hand is a sophisticated evil. He was really good looking and doesn't seem having any of that ugly thing that evil people go through.

That never made sense to me. How does just turning evil make you ugly? This does go back to a theory of my English teacher's who thinks evil is beautiful cuz people don't like ugly things and which I totally agree with.

Oh, and Damascus having Immortal powers that he's had for a gazillion and knows how to use very well probably doesn't help.

He walked around in my room and looked around. He's eyes found Skye.

He gave a small laugh. "You have hatchling, little Mediator."

I grabbed Skye and squished her to my boobies. I glared at him. I was going to squish him like grape if he tried to hurt her and then run away screaming for the others because he does scare me shitless.

It hit me with a gut clenching zing. There was also a big reason, a very big reason, why he scared me more than the psycho, fake Priestess: he killed my parents. I think I have grounds to run, screaming away from him.

"And, what concern of it is it of yours?" I asked. I wonder if I could dart down the stairs before he caught me.

"If you ever came to fully understanding your powers, then you could be a dangerous enemy." He said.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "You said I had a couple of months."

He studied me with those ice blue eyes. It felt like the blood in my veins was freezing.

"Things are occurring much faster than I had anticipated." He said. "So, our bargain may not hold."

I bit my tongue. I wanted to punch him in the face and break his stupid face in! But, um, that probably won't end well for me at all.

"Don't be upset, little Raven." He cupped my chin. I tried to pull away, but he curled his fingers tightly around my jaw. "You think I enjoy tormenting my heir's eternal mate?"

"Yes." I said.

He smiled. "It amazes me how similar you are to your father. He fell because of love and it seems his daughter is following in his footsteps."

I twisted my face out of his hand and took a step back. What was his issue with personal bubble space?

"I think you should get out of here before I get a restraining order." I said.

He chuckled. "Are you or your pathetic little group of mortals going to stop me?"

"We just might." I said.

"Lesser beings would claim it was a coincidence that the Mediator has become such close allies with a group very powerful mortals, but I am not a lesser being."

Gods, did all immortals have this hubristic idea about themselves? Lord, I'm going to shoot myself next time I hear one of them utter 'lesser beings.'

"Did you come here for a reason?" I asked.

"I came for your scent." He said getting straight to the point.

"That's really creepy." I blurted.

He suddenly shot towards me and took my face tightly in his hands. His eyes went really scary and he kissed me.

Okay, maybe not kissed as much as put his mouth on mine, so I guess he mouthed me, but it was still creepy as all get out!

I tried to push him away and I felt the weird sensation that my breath was being pulled from my lungs.

Suddenly, I really couldn't breathe. My lungs were burning and I was feeling dizzy. Skye cried out, but she was drowned out by the ringing in my ears. I felt myself going limp when he finally let me go.

I just slumped to the ground and tried to breathe. It felt like that one time when some woman came in to talk to us high schoolers about the importance of organ donation and how it saved her life. She had some sort of lung disease and she gave us straws, no, it was one of those coffee stirrers and had us try and breath through those cuz that what it felt like for her everyday just to exist. That's what it felt like I was, once again, trying to breathe through a coffee stirrer.

Skye chittered and scrambled over my thighs. My dizziness passed enough that I could watched Damascus do his weird Immortal shit.

He pulled out a vial and blew golden fog into the glass before tightly corking it.

"What the hell?" I gasped.

"It's your breath. I already had your scent, but unfortunately because of your change back into your half-breed your scent has changed." He waved the bottle. "Your breath contains a portion of your spirit and the scent of it will never change no matter how your physical body changes."

What? How does spirit have a scent? Or was it only my breath that smelled? How does my breath smell not change even though my body does? Why did he have to mouth me to get my breath?!

I felt really funky. It felt like my whole body was one huge pinched nerve. Everything was numb and prickling at the same time. I didn't feel faint per say, but I definitely didn't feel right.

"Don't worry. You will recover, eventually." He said. "You don't have fear about it killing you."

"Joy." I exhaled. Skye chittered at me and curled up against my navel.

He gave me a look of fake pity. "We don't have to be enemies, Raven. The insult your father inflicted on me can be ratified in other ways."

"I still wouldn't like you." I said gaspily.

He gave me a wicked smile. "Then how else would you and Dominic be together? He's been my heir for nearly a thousand years."

Lord, I'm in love with a pedophile. Does it still count for Immortals? I mean, isn't Rephaim also a pedophile since he's been around for about a thousand years or does it not because he wasn't flesh for all that time? Should I be concerned about the huge age different?

"The oath he swore is unbreakable and when I die he will take my place."

"Wait, when?" I coughed. I didn't think Immortals thought about 'when' they die.

His eyes hardened. "I never take chances, little one. When one is trying to change the world, you can't take any chances."

That might be some good advice. I'll tuck that away just in case in comes in handy.

"Why do you want to change the world?" The breathing was getting easier. I felt like I was getting a good chunk of the air that my heaving lungs was trying to get to my brain, but I still felt wrong.

"Surely you've seen how the humans and vampyres have nearly destroyed the ancient sights and the ways?" He asked.

"So?" Was Damascus a protect the rain forest type of guy? Somehow that didn't coincide with his personality.

"They are not worthy of being the dominants of this realm." He said. "They ignore whatever is not beneficial or convenient for their 'safe and prefect' society." He sneered the last two adjectives.

"I don't think it matters whether you think they are worthy. The Creator chose them and last time I checked, you are not the Creator." I said.

He looked down at me (and I meant that more of a look rather than a direction since I was on the floor and he's been looking down at me this entire little chat) and gave me a sly smile.

"I assume if a group of humans or vampyres decided another group was not worthy that you would be behind them and supporting them, hm, little Mediator?"

"Depends on the two groups and I don't think I would have such a problem with mortals bickering if a some dumbass immortal wanted to play God and take over the world like everyone other stupid, cliché villian."

His eyes slit and he struck out at me, wrapping his hand around my throat (and his hand was frickin' huge! Or my throat was really tiny, one of the two). My breath was immediately gone.

"I'm trying to be nice." He breathed. "I really would like my heir to stop moping over some little girl who caught his eye, but you've seem to completely entranced him."

I entranced a boy? Who would have thunk it. Especially since some sexy, well-built immortal guy went for the cute, dorky half-breed.

Is it petty of me that I kinda want to go back to high school and rub it in those stupid sluts' faces? Hell, I kinda wanted to go back and say how little their lives really have no value and be able to prove it.

But, I guess they really wouldn't care because they're remarkably stupid and shallow and illiterate. Maybe Damascus of Neferet should take over the world, at least I won't have to deal with them anymore because I think even they would get rid of them because of their all-around uselessness.

Damascus crying out in pain brought me away from my war against stupid females and he let me go. I coughed and took a deep breath and saw Skye was dangling from his wrist.

He growled in anger and threw my hatchling across the room.

I punched him in his smug, stupid, god damn face!

He stumbled back and touched the blood running down his face looking at it like no one has ever punched him before.

"Don't you dare touch my hatchling again!" Just like every other time I was pushed past the fucking pissed off level, I forgot that I got my breath pulled from my lungs and then he had choked me making my breathing worse and I felt funny. _I just wanted to kill him!_

"In fact." My elements quivered around me and sparks shot out and exploded. "I don't to ever see your stupid ass face again!" And a pulse of dark and light energy flew from my body. Tendrils shot out and wrapped around him. It dragged him out of the window without so much as a noise for him, or maybe I couldn't hear it over the ringing in my ears.

I didn't feel the elements go poof after they got rid of him. I sensed a barrier forming around the depot and I closed my eyes and sighed. At least he wouldn't back anytime soon.

I dropped down to my butt and that whole lack of breath popped back up. My head spun or maybe the room or maybe Raven was spinning. I don't know! My lungs were burning and I felt way too nauseous to have not vomited yet.

Skye chittered and rubbed her head against my hand.

I won't puke. I won't puke.

I don't think I passed out, but I did daze enough that I didn't hear or notice Dominic slip into my room not until he was lifting me up and pressing his mouth against mine.

Whoa there boy! I've already been mouthed by another immortal pedophile and I don't want to be mouthed anymore tonight. Is that technically molestation?

Something cold trickled down my throat and curled into my lungs. What was weird was it tasted like…well, warmth. It tasted like summer air that you're gulping down when you're overheated.

I pulled away and coughed. The nausea was gone and the dizziness too. I was just really tried now. I tilted my head up. "Thanks."

"What happened?"

"Damascus took my breath." I said.

He muttered under his breath and even being cradled against his chest I was unable to hear what he said.

"What did you do to me?" I asked.

"A bit of my energy." He said. He kissed my forehead. "It won't completely fix what happened, but if you get a few good hours of sleep you should be able to function tomorrow."

I sighed and snuggled against his chest. Hey, I was already smushed to him, so why not indulge a bit? I fully admit his sexy, and his really warm. I never understood girl's infatuation with Edward. He's a frickn' slab of dead, cold flesh and every stupid girl wants to snuggle up with him. Ew.

Again, I pushed my war against stupid females away so I could focus on what just happened.

"How did you know I was in trouble?" I asked.

"I felt your fear and then you were suddenly pissed off so I figured Damascus come over to harass you." He said.

"I thought he was going to leave me alone." I said. "Until, you know that stupid deadline pops up."

"Things are occurring much faster than he expected." He whispered.

Great.

Suddenly, my lip starting quivering and my eyes began prickling. He rubbed my arm really nicely and I just burst into tears. I still want to know how movie people cry so prettily. How come we never see movie people snot all over themselves, face get all red, and eyes go all puffy?

I buried my face into his tight man boobs and curled up into a fetal position on his lap.

He held me tightly and murmured nice things into my hair. His wings wrapped around me and hide me in a nice, warm and soft cocoon. His warm hands rubbed my back and I held his shoulders tightly.

The sobs subsided to hiccups. Dominic moved around and handed me a handkerchief. I wiped my face and wiped the snot and tears I got over all over his chest.

"Sorry." I murmured. "I don't why I just burst into tears." I hiccupped and moaned because it actually hurt me. My mouth was thick and I tried to swallow the thick lump still in my throat.

"It's okay."

"I mean, I don't usually just burst into tears cuz it's stupid to cry cuz it doesn't help anything and you just get all snotty and putty eyed and-"

He pressed a hand against my mouth. "Sh. It's okay." He's really pretty violet eyes were really soft and my lip was quivering again. He rubbed the sticky tears off my face and kissed my cheeks. "It's okay."

Dammit! Why can't he just be an asshole and tell me to suck it up and give him a blow job, or whatever assholes want from little girls. Why is he being so nice? Shit! I'm going to cry some more. Gah! I hate crying about stupid stuff! It's not like people aren't nice to me and I've been so starved for humans kindness my tear ducts are panicking.

Skye snuggled against me and I realized she was squished between us. I scratched her horns and she stuffed her nose into my arm pit. I curled around her and pressed my ear against Dominic's chest and listened to the steady thumping of his heart.

I sorta of woke-up when he picked me up and tucked me into bed. I opened my eyes and looked blurry eyed at him.

He kissed me softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I murmured and kissed him back. I snuggled deeper under the covers and curled around my pillow. Skye curled next to me and I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Hey look, no cliff hangers! Woo-hoo! So, as usual, if you read, please review!


	15. Chapter Fourteen

This obnoxious tone gave out a shrill cry. I bolted straight up with Skye flying from my chest to the end of bed and giving a surprised chirp and looked around for the source.

My purse next to my desk chair had a light glowing from it and the obnoxious tone finally made sense, sorta.

I climbed out of bed and padded over to pull it out of my purse.

I frowned. My calendar was giving off its 'fifteen minutes to appointment' screen. What appointment?

"Shit!" I yanked off my sundress. I began digging through my wardrobe. I pulled on a pair of nice jeans and then a sweater. I gave a mentally nudge for darkness to slice slits into the sweater's weave for my wings. I shoved my feet into nice little ballet flats and then raked a brush through the tangled mess of hair on my head.

Skye warbled at me.

"I forgot about the meeting with my parents' lawyer." I told her filling my purse with stuff I think I might need. What do you bring to a will reading?

Skye hopped down and started heading for the stairs.

"I can't take you."

She turned and glared at me.

"I'm going to a human nest." I said. "You can't come."

She squalled at me.

Okay, so there was one part of me that really didn't want to leave Skye alone.

"You can't make any noise." I said in a stern voice.

She wriggled and chirped at me. I gave a huge sigh and picked her up before charging down the stairs.

I went into the kitchen and scribbled a quick note telling the others where I was going to be. I did add that I completely forgot about it and that's why they didn't know before now so hopefully they wouldn't pester me about my "reckless" behavior.

I stuck it under a thick glass bowl on the table and stalked through the tunnels to the outside.

The late evening sun greeted me as I walked over to my car. I quickly summoned darkness and light to shield my wings and my hatchling.

I put her into the passenger's seat and sat down. I sighed and turned the key.

My thoughts drifted towards Dominic. Why in the hell did I tell him I loved him? I mean, was this actually going to work out?

"I'm stupid." I said. "Really fucking stupid."

The entire reason I was mad at him was more of the fact I was angry that Damascus had such a hold over him that not even my dorkishly cute love could save him from and that reason wasn't resolved. So, why in the hell did I melt like putty in his arms?

"Again, you're stupid." I reminded myself. Skye chittered. "I know. He doesn't even do anything that really seduces me. He's just…nice." He hugs me and I'm a melted Raven and he could probably get away with anything.

I chewed my lip. I wanted that oath that Damascus made him swore (I kinda get the vibe Dominic was forced, somehow, to take up this oath) to break. I don't believe it was completely unbreakable. There had to be a way to free him from Damascus.

I jerked on my brakes when I realized the street I was supposed to turn on popped up. I turned and pulled into a parking space.

"You are going to stay in this bag and won't come out, all right?" I told Skye.

She eagerly climbed into my bag.

"And you need to be quite." I said.

She chirped at me and buried herself into my bag. I pushed my door open and got out.

"Wow, you're heavy." I said shifting her weight. I never really noticed since her weight was more spread out when I had to carry it along with my own.

I walked into the office. It smelled like office. I don't know what combinations of things that give you this smell, but it was a distinct smell that always bombards me in industrialize office.

"Can I help you?" A pretty blonde with bright green eyes asked.

"Hi, I'm Raven Williams. I'm here to see my parents' lawyer, Melissa Everhart." I said.

A look passed over her face. I had no idea if my parents' murder had made huge headlines since their death did coincide with the "Mocker Massacre" that plagued the city, but I guess since Melissa was a family friend the office may be more affected.

"Melissa mentioned you would be coming. I'll go make sure she's not in the middle of something." She got up and walked down the hall with a slight swish of her hips. Do woman just do that normally or only in heels?

I glanced at my wings and saw the sparkles nestled on the feathers. I tugged my white sweater down more and hoped I didn't look like I had rolled out of bed and into clothes. Why didn't this place have a mirror? Maybe I should carry a mirror around in my purse for this reason.

I heard the thump of her heels and she came into the little waiting room.

"She's ready for you." She said.

"Thanks."

"Third door on the left."

She didn't really need to tell me since the names of the lawyers where on the walls and most of them were shut. The only open door was the third door on the left.

She was sitting behind her desk looking all professional, but her professional face fell apart when she saw me.

"You've gotten so big." She got up and hugged me tightly with a big smile on her face.

"That kinda of happens during puberty." I said.

She didn't change too much, although all I remembered from when I was five was her brown hair that was kinda of red, but not and her pale blue eyes. I was pretty sure she had freckles, but make-up does do wonders.

She squeezed my arms and gave me a sad smile. "Here, take a seat." She patted the seat in front of her desk.

I plunked down and set my bag by foot. Skye immediately popped her head out of the bag. I pushed her head down.

Melissa picked up a piece of paper. "Normally, there would be an issue of caretakers, but I've received a letter from the House of Night stating that you have joined their school." She glanced at me.

"Yes." I really hoped she couldn't see my wings. I shifted nervously.

"Your parents had a college fund set up for you that can be only used for the school of your choice, but you also have the insurance money to help you while you complete high school"

"All right." I could kinda of care less. Things were going all screwy and I don't care too much about money. As far as I know, Damascus is planning on magically nuking the entire realm.

"The house has been given to you and all your parents' possessions."

"I don't want to live in that house." I said.

She looked up. "I understand that you will not be able to live there-"

"I can't live in that house." I said.

"The police will catch the murderer. He will pay." She reassured me.

I swallowed a snort. Mortal, human police against Damascus? I wouldn't be comfortable if the Sons of Erebus went after him.

"It won't matter." I said. "I won't be able to stay in that house without…" I trailed off and swallowed. I could feel tears starting to sting my eyes. "It won't matter if he's caught. That house isn't my home anymore and it never will be again. I want to sell it as soon as I can."

"All right." She said. "I'll see what I can do about getting a realtor to sell the house for you."

"Thank you." I said.

"I guess we're done here."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. You are your parents' only beneficiary. Everything they own is yours now."

I felt really empty. This for some reason was even more official than seeing their bodies. They were really dead.

"Thank you. I better return to school." I said picking my bag.

"If you need anything, call me." She said.

"Thank you, again." I said.

She gave me a soft smile before I walked out of the office. I smiled at the secretary before pushing my way outside. I walked a little ways and then paused, creeper like to stare at a group of teenagers giggling as they ran across the street.

I hate them. They get to spend whatever time this world has left in complete, blissful ignorance. They'll don't know or sense the horror that was hiding just below the surface, waiting to pounce on this world and destroy it. They got to be stupid teenagers and do stupid teenage things without gut clenching bad feelings making them pause to look around for some invisible danger.

Why me? Why was I burdened like this? Why was someone so young chosen to save the world?

"The youth possess a strength and courage the old do not."

I jumped.

The woman beside me was remarkably pretty and way too prefect looking. My defenses immediately shot up and I clenched my bag tightly.

She smiled and her gray eyes shone. She looked familiar, but I wasn't sure how. She had curly black hair that pulled back into a thick braid with small, spirals that managed to escape dangling around her small ears. She looked fierce in a very feminine way.

"Relax, dear Mediator." She said. "I wouldn't harm anyone my sister Goddess has decided to mentor."

"Whoa, wait." I studied her and it clicked. She looked a lot like Artemis, but her gray eyes were deep and steely. "You're Athena!"

She smiled broadly. "I'm glad you are so knowledgeable about Greek myths."

I blinked. "But why are you here?"

She looked up at the sky. "I'm not sure if I should be glad or worried that we Pagan gods can walk among this world again."

"Okay, wait, I'm confused. How can, I mean, do all gods exist? Like, you guys, Hindu gods, Native American gods?"

"Why couldn't they?" She asked. "The universe is vast and no one creature could possibly manage all the realms and each of its people especially when the people themselves are so different from one another. Or we all could be different interpretations of the same divine beings."

I felt like my mind was blown. All the gods ever mentioned by humans could exist?! Whoa. I feel like that would be such a weird trip to be in the presence of the heads of all god families, I guess that's how you would refer the groups of gods as, just chilling or eating dinner together.

"Can I ask why exactly you are here?" I asked.

"Why do you think I'm here?"

"Do you have to answer my question with a question?"

"Perhaps." She said with a mysterious smile.

I sighed. "Well, you're the goddess of just war, so, are you hear to give me battle advice?"

"There is a war coming. You know it and many Immortals have felt it too." She said. "The veil between this realm and the realm of Immortals is failing and there will be conflict no matter how the veil is disposed of."

"Quick question, what is the Immortal realm or who inhabit it?"

"Immortals who have no other realm." She softly. "Some of survivors of another realm came to this Earth realm to have a new life after a catastrophe in their own realm. Children of gods who are not…divine enough to stay in the realms of the gods. Children of fallen angels. The list goes on."

"And, Immortal beasts from this realm?" I asked.

She nodded. "Not all of them, but enough of them were enraged that the mortals of this realm banished them away to another realm that some of them did not want to inhabit."

"I bet there is a certain Immortal flaming those rage flames." I muttered.

She nodded. She tilted her head. "I'm afraid I have to go."

"No advice?" I asked.

"Believe in yourself." Then she was gone.

"I'm not sure I'm too happy that they can walk this realm again." I mumbled as I walked back to my car. I unlocked the door and put Skye into the passenger's seat. She peered out and cooed.

"I think…we're going to make a quick detour." I told her as I started up the car.

XOXOXOXOX

The ice had finally completely melted so their car wasn't melded to the driveway. I stared at it as I pulled up into what had been my usual spot. I put the car into park and stared at the house.

The flower beds Mom and I had labored on for years were completely bare. The peach tree Dad got Mom for mother's day clawed at the now night sky. I stared at the rosebushes that they planted for their tenth wedding anniversary. Maybe I would dig them up and transfer them back to the depot were I could continue to care for them. I didn't want whoever bough this house to leave them to fend for themselves or dig them up to replace them with some stupid bush or whatever.

I turned off the car and got out.

Skye hopped out and scampered after me. I tucked my hands into my pockets and looked at the two story home. I walked up onto the porch and paused.

There was a small red square taped to the door at the seam. It Warning printed boldly across it and a notice to call this number before entering.

I dialed the number and got a rather cheerful lady on the other end who quickly explained it was there so the police could tell if someone came in to tamper with evidence. She said that the police did have some questions for me and if I could just wait there for a bit a detective would be over shortly to allow me inside.

"Thank you." I hit the end button. I wondered off the front porch and into the backyard. I plunked down into one of the swings of the swing set I got for some birthday or it might have even been Christmas. Funny how those years have blurred together into one lump of blissfulness.

I snorted. "If someone had told me then I was a daughter of an Immortal destined to save the world, I would have punched them."

"Raven?"

I looked up and saw a relatively young man walk over.

"Hi, I'm Detective Marx." He flashed me his badge.

"Oh, you were the one Zoey called." I said carefully.

He nodded. "I heard you were accepted into the Tulsa House of Night not long after this incident and we have been having problems reaching you."

"I'm sorry. Something happened to Zoey and it was a life or death scenario and…" I shrugged. "This kinda got pushed to the back of my head for a bit."

"Do you have any idea who would do this?"

"A monster." It was true.

"We will catch them and they will pay."

"I sincerely hope so." I said. I stood up. "What…I mean, what did you guys learn when…" I waved my hand.

"Nothing was stolen." He said. "But will need you to go through their things and report if anything is missing even if it is insignificant."

"I can do that. I just talked to their lawyer and so I'll need to decide what I'm keeping and what I'll sell."

He gave me a sad look. "Come on, I'll let you into the house."

"Is the investigation still going on?" I asked.

"We've hit a dead end." He said. "At first we thought it might have had something to do with the gang the Mockers, but your parents' murder didn't occur in the same neighborhood as the others. We have no DNA or fingerprints to prove otherwise."

Because I didn't live that close to the House of Night. Did the police know nothing of what occurred? Should they be clued in? Or would that just lead to massive panic? I would hate for an innocent human to blamed for the murder, but how do I tell a police officer that my parents were killed by a winged Immortal bent on absolute dominance of this world?

Boy, am I ever in between a rock and a hard place.

He tore off the sticker and I put my key in and unlocked it.

It was still cold in the house. I shivered.

"Your original statement said you walked into the house and notice the back door was open."

I nodded. "It was cold, that's what I really noticed first."

"Did you see anything out of the norm?"

"Just that the door was open." I said. I stared at the stairs. I could do this. I slowly made my way up the stairs. Skye followed after me and so did Detective Marx.

I glanced into my room. I felt like I should mention that some of my bedding was missing. I feel that he was expecting me to comment on my missing bed things.

"I did notice this before, but I thought it was insignificant." I pointed to my bed. "My pillow and bedding are missing. I don't understand why the murderer took them though."

"Was anything else of yours missing?"

"Not that I noticed." I said. I walked past my dad's office and into their bedroom.

The bedding was all going and the mattress too. A big chunk of the carpet had been cut out too. All the fixtures and furniture had a layer of dust on it. My mother's little make-up table had all her perfumes and make-up smushed into the center.

I walked over and glanced into the drawers were she kept her jewelry. I pushed the small trinkets around, but didn't see any missing.

"Is anything missing?"

I shook my head. My throat was beginning to close up and tears were stinging my eyes.

I stroked the smooth wood of the table and then the soft stood seat. My father and I got this make-up table and stool refurbished for Mom after Grandma Puckett died. It had been hers and Great-Grandma's too. I still remember the smile on the furniture repair guy's face when I put a handful of my piggy bank stash onto his counter.

I could my mom was a little disappointed that I never cared much for make-up. Sure, there were times were I allowed her to put the eye shadow and lip gloss that always got stuffed into my Easter basket. It made her smile and there was even a picture of me and her making a kissy face at the camera after one of her make overs. She was always one of those fun moms who cracked jokes at get togethers and could get anyone to smile.

I kicked the stool suddenly and Detective Marx jumped.

"It's not fair!" I whirled around to glare at him. Tears stared to spill down my face and that me even more pissed. "They didn't deserve to die! Not like this! They never did anything to anyone! Why? Why were they taken from me like this? Why!?"

He just stood there looking helpless. This had to be one of the most suckiest things about being an officer. I don't know how he deals with it.

I rubbed the back of my hand across my face and looked around. "Just tell me if you guys need this place anymore for your investigation."

"No. We've gathered all the evidence we could from this place."

"I'm going to sell this place as soon as I can find someplace to store everything I want to keep." I said. I bent down and scooped up Skye not bothering that it probably looked weird to him. "Thank you for trying to track down this guy for me and I hope you guys catch him and make him pay."

I walked out of the room and down the stairs. I walked out of the front door and got into the car before I just burst into loud, obnoxious sobs.

My phone rang and I picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Raven!" Bryan screamed over the phone.

"Bryan?" Rage prickled through me red hot. How dare he call me.

"Raven, you need to come to the House of Night pronto." He shouted.

"Why?" I snapped.

"Raven." Dragon suddenly called across the phone. "There is an Immortal beast rampaging across campus and my Warriors cannot subdue it."

I heard a howl that had my scalp prickling.

"Try to get it away from the dormitories! Drive it towards the old oak!" Dragon shouted. "Hurry Raven!" And the connection went dead.

**XOXOXOXOXOX**

I do enjoy tormenting you guys with cliff hangers, huh?

As usual, please review if you read.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

I blasted to the House of Night and blew up the front gates with darkness (they'll get over it). I jerked my car to a stop and jumped out.

I could hear something really big growling and guys shouting.

"Skye, stay back." I shouted over my shoulder. She growled and ran alongside me. I ran towards the source of the shouting.

As I rounded the corner of the dining hall and Warrior flew past me. I looked and saw a huge wolf in the middle of a circle of Warriors.

Well, it looked like a wolf or a wolf was the closest animal looks wise to this beast. It was huge though. Most of the Warriors' heads didn't even come close the creature's shoulders and there was the tiny fact that its paws, tail, and ears had red flames burning off of them. Blood dripped from wounds all over its dark blue-gray fur. Long fangs dripped with blood and saliva and piercing gray eyes whirled around deciding who was going to get a chunk ripped out of them next.

It howled in rage as Aurox charged at and got onto its back. It twisted its head and grabbed his leg. It tore Aurox off and shook him like a rag doll before slamming him onto the ground. Aurox bounced a couple of times before settling on the ground, dazed out of his wits. The flaming wolf turned and began charging at him.

Until I put myself in between them.

The wolf skidded to a halt with its nose almost touching me. It stood there, holding my gaze, while the Warriors looked on, unsure on whether or not to help me.

It growled low in its throat.

"It's okay." I gently touched its thoughts. It shook its head and growled more viciously. I could feel his fear like a slap on my face. "Sh, it's okay." I raised my hands. He backed up and glared at me.

"You're okay." I murmured. "All right? Everything's going to be okay."

He folded his ears back and glanced at the Warriors. The ones who were inching towards us froze immediately.

"They won't hurt you. You just freaked them, that's all." I said. I gentled touched his muzzle. A shiver rippled through his body and the red flames turned a purple-ish red. His eyes got softer. "Okay now?"

He whined and the flames turned blue-purple. He buried his nose into my stomach and his trembling had me shaking. I wrapped my arms around his big head (I seriously think that from nose to the back of his skull was as long as I was tall) and my golden healing flames wrapped around his body. I gave a little mental nudge and the flames spread out towards the injury Warriors and Aurox in the fluttery bird/butterfly thing.

The flames turned golden and he raised his head.

"Better now?"

He gave a happy bark and wagged his butt with his tongue lolling out. He began licking my face. "Cut it out!" I pushed him away, but he thrusted his head under my arm and flopped his big butt onto the ground. "You idiot." I looked at Dragon.

"Everyone okay?"

"I believe so." He said. He sheathed his blade.

I turned and faced Aurox. "You okay?"

"Yes." He said after a pause. He looked down at his body. "Your golden flames helped heal me."

"That's what they're supposed to do, so I'm glad they did their job right."

Skye stalked over grumbling and sniffed the flaming wolf. He sniffed her back and barked. She warbled back at him before leaping into my arms.

Thanatos walked up. She glanced at the wolf.

"He's fine now. He just freaked out a bit about crossing into a new world is all." I said rubbing his cheek. He bent his head so I could scratch his ears. He did that cute thumping thing with one of his back legs.

"Your gift to communicate with beasts is quite remarkable." She said.

I shrugged. "It comes in handy." I patted the wolf's massive shoulder. He was a gazillion times calmer than he had been and warily glanced at Thanatos, but didn't give off 'I'm going to take a chunk outta her' vibes.

She reached into her robe and handed me a piece of paper. "Lenobia has informed me that you have been enrolled into the House of Night and therefore you should attend class."

I stifled a groan. I glanced at my schedule. Vampyre Sociology with Thanatos was first hour.

"Um, I'm not a vampyre." I said.

She smiled. "This Vampyre Sociology class will be different. It is filled with some individuals who are not vampyres such as your brother and the human Prophetess Aphrodite."

"Okay then." Second hour was Literature with some Professor named Penthesilea. Good thing I've always loved to read. Third hour was Latin level three. I had taken Latin for the past two years and a half so I wasn't too alarmed with being placed in a high level class. Fourth hour was a self-defense class in the Field House with Darius and Stark. A lunch break and fifth hour had three classed for me to choose from all related to the arts, joy. My final class was Equestrian Studies.

I tucked the schedule into my back pocket. "Kay. Anything else you guys need me for." I glanced around at the broken benches and crushed gardens. I feel like I should help the gardener people clean up this mess.

"I don't believe so, although, I would appreciate if I could have your cell phone number just in case an event like this occurs again." She glanced at the mega wolf and then at the destruction.

"No prob." I gave her number which she immediately put into her iphone.

"Thank you, young Mediator. I will see you in class or Monday, or perhaps sooner." She pressed her fist to her heart, a gesture I mimicked. "Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again."

I echoed her words and she turned to disappear back the way she came. I looked at the wolf.

"Um…you're kinda big, can you shrink or something?" I hope I didn't insult him.

He blinked at me. A shiver shook his body and he did shrink. The flames vanished too, but he was still pretty big. His eye level was easily at my waist. I rubbed his ears. He had insanely soft fur. As soon as I got a moment by myself, I was so stuffing my face into fur.

"I guess I'll see you guys later." I didn't see Bryan and I didn't really want to talk to him anyway. I should forgive him because it hadn't been his fault my parents had been murdered, but then again I couldn't forgive his 'who cares they're human' attitude.

"Good-bye, young Mediator." Dragon said. He bowed to me and the other Warriors mimicked the gesture. I bowed to them and began heading back towards my car.

"I am never going to get use to that." I told the wolf. He barked. "Well, it's just…blecky. I've never liked being the center of attention and now it feels like I always am." I huffed a big sigh. "If this is karma's way of getting back at me for something I did in this lifetime or the one before, I'm going to punch it."

OXOXOXOXOXOXOX

I pulled up to the depot and saw Rephaim pacing in front of Stevie Rae, Zoey, Darius, Stark, and Aphordite. Shaunee was there, but not Erin.

"There you are!" Aphrodite shouted. "We've been waiting for eons." She glared at Rephaim. "She's here, so let's go shopping. I need your girlfriend to keep the manager from locking up early." She glared at the wolf, who I decided to call Shadow. "What is that?"

"A hellhound."

I turned and saw the unicorn walk up.

"Aren't hellhounds bad?" Zoey asked. She looked at Shadow like he was going to blow up or something.

"Depends. Hellhounds are loyal to one person and only person only."

"So, it depends on the person?" Zoey asked.

Dark Moon nodded. "This hound is very young, a teenager. I doubt it has claimed loyalty to anyone yet."

I rubbed his head. I really hope Damascus didn't get his claws into him.

"Well, that's hunky dory. Let's go." Aphrodite told Stevie Rae. "Where's Kramisha?"

"Right here." She came up and gave me a piece of paper. "For you."

"Oh boy." I looked at the poem.

_Unite as One_

_ Evil shall be Undone_

_ Prince of Darkness shall destroy his Light_

_ Queen of Peace shall conquer his Might_

"Um, kay." I tucked the poem into my pocket. It sounded pretty crystal clear and I had a pretty good idea who was the Prince of Darkness and Queen of Peace. Ugh.

"Not sure how I feel about poems about Dark Princes or beasts." She glanced Stevie Rae.

"So, what did your lawyer say?" Zoey asked.

"We can take anything we need from my house." I said. "But, I'm selling it, period. I don't care if you guys need a love nest or anything like that, it's going."

"Unattractive, middle class furniture." Aphrodite wrinkled her nose.

"You haven't seen it so how do you know it's unattractive?" I asked. I looked at Shadow. "Well, I'm going to Wal-Mart or Petsmart to get some dog food. Bye." I hopped back into my car. Shadow bounded into the car as I pulled out.

I put the window down for him and he stuck his head out to scare little kids. Skye got up on the arm rest and peered out the window. Who knew I was going to be the foster mom of a hellhound and a dragon.

I turned my car into Petsmart's parking lot and put Skye into my bag. I got out and Shadow hopped out.

I summoned darkness and made a makeshift leash and collar so the little dog owners don't panic thinking my hell hound might eat them. And he might. I dunno know what hell hounds eat.

There weren't many people there. I thought that maybe I should get some dog toys for Skye to nibble on while I was in class. It probably wouldn't hurt to get Shadow some too since he was a teenager.

What the hell was I going to do about them during class? Skye has never been out of my sight or I haven't been out of her sight technically and I had no idea how teachers would react to a baby dragon in their class. Would Shadow follow me everywhere too? Was Snap getting jealous of everyone else who was begging for my attention?

"Hello, we're closing up soon so can I help you?" A cute looking guy asked.

"Yes, I need some food for this guy and some toys." I said. "Oh, and some formula for baby kittens." Kitty cats were close to dragons, right, maybe? I wasn't sure if Skye was getting all the nutrients she needed and probably getting formula made for carnivore babies might be a good step in the right direction.

"All rightie." I followed him down to the dog food aisle. "Do you know what breed he is?"

Hell? Was that a breed?

"Mutt. That's really all I got." I said.

"Weight?"

"I don't know it off the top of my head." I said. I just want some dog food. I'm sure he'll be fine.

"Well, he looks like a big dog." He offered his hand for Shadow to sniff. "And he's fur is a beautiful blue-gray. I've never seen a dog with that kind of coat before."

Probably not. I haven't heard anything about hellhounds wandering suburbia eating little dogs and cats and kids.

I slugged a fifty pound bag of dog food into the cart and then journeyed to the aisle of toys. I got some of the thick rubber Kong toys and a rope tug thing. I also grabbed some tennis balls and Frisbees for Shadow. I'm sure these will keep my kids entertained while I learned. Yuck.

I grabbed a spiked blue collar and a thick leash cuz I worry about my hellhound, okay. I almost forgot to grab him a water and food bowl, but remembered just in time. After I paid, I made a doggie tag for Shadow's new collar. I'm worried about losing my hellhound okay or I'm more worried about the people who find my hellhound. Yikes.

"Come 'ere, Shadow." He padded up and allowed me to put the collar onto him. "Good boy." I rubbed his ears and he barked.

I parked my car at the depot and slugged the food over my shoulder. I grabbed the bags and made my way into the kitchen.

Zoey waved at me.

"Hey, need help?"

"Nope." I dropped the food down.

"You could have had some of Duchess's food." Stark said.

"Um, he's kinda of big. He could probably eat that whole bag by himself." I set his bowl next to Duchess's and filled the bowl. He immediately began inhaling the food and it was all gone when I turned around to put down his full water bowl.

He looked at me expectedly with his tail wagging slightly.

"You ate it all."

He barked and pawed at the food bag.

I poured him another bowl full. "That's it till dinner."

Stark laughed.

"What?"

"You do realize he is a hellhound right?"

"He's just a dog not matter what breed he is." I tossed a Kong toy at Skye. She sniffed it. I mentally nudged it with darkness and she pounced on it.

"Hey, Ray." Zoey asked. "Do you mind if we try something?"

I looked at her. She began to open her mouth, but Damian came in with a notebook in his hand.

"Hey, Ray. I've been thinking that we should keep a journal on Skye so we can compare her growth to the ones in the dragon manual so we can be ready for that growth spurt."

"What are we going to do about that?" Zoey asked.

"We'll deal with it when it comes. Who knows what state the world will be in when she does become full grown." I said. Skye warbled at me and I scratched behind her horns. "Give me tape measure." Damian handed me the tape measure. He helped me measure Skye's body areas and he wrote the measurements down on the little table he had set up. He scribbled the date.

"Okay," he cracked open the dragon manual. "She's about the size of a two month year old hatchling. We'll have to ask Aphrodite to borrow her scale to get her weight."

"How long are they going to be gone?" I asked.

"They're shopping." Stark said.

"Right. What do you want to try Miss Z?" I asked.

"I would like you and me to cast a circle with darkness and light." She said.

"Shouldn't we wait for Erin and Stevie Rae to come back?" Damian asked.

"I want to do one with just me and Ray, just in case…"

"We blow up." I offered.

"Or something bad like that." She said. She looked really nervous and I felt bad about putting that idea in her head. I highly doubt we'll blow. That's like in the .1% percent of the 'what could happen to us' pie chart in Raven's head.

"I'd be more worried about a lot of power attracting something dangerous." Stark offered taking Zoey's hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I guess that's a concern too." I mumbled. I sighed. "Well, let's go get it over with."

"Jeez, you could be a little more enthusiastic about casting the first circle with darkness and light." Zoey said.

"Okay, give me a second to put on my excited Raven face." I took a deep breath and put a huge smile onto myself. "I'm excited! Are you excited? I'm excited!" I said bouncing up and down while clapping my hands.

"Don't do that again." Stark said.

I laughed. "Let's go, Miss Z." I hooked arms with her and marched her out of the kitchen. "Uh, where are we going?"

"Outside to the old tree." She said.

"Do you have the candles?"

"Candles are just for ceremony and since we don't have all my circle members we don't need them." She said climbing up the ladder to the outside.

I blew my bangs out of my face and climbed after her.

We kicked some of the sticks and shit out of the way so we could have a nice area to do our magical circle casting thing.

"Stay Skye." I told her. Damian put a hand on her while I walked back to Zoey. Shadow sprawled out between him and Stark.

Zoey took a deep breath and faced East.

"Air, please join our circle."

A mini twister encircled her before she moved down the South.

"Fire, please join our circle." She continued on to the West to summon water and North to summon earth.

"Spirit, please join our circle." My own spirit fluttered in my chest. Oh, boy. I hope I don't accidently astral project or do some crazy half-breed shit.

She turned to face me.

I took a deep breath. Please, I don't want to blow up.

"Darkness, please join our circle."

Soft, black feathers caressed my arms and I saw it was also caressing Zoey before it spread across the ground to create a beautiful wheel looking symbol.

"Light, please join our circle."

Light shone out from my pores like someone turned on a light from within me. Light spread from my feet and curled around the black swirls. A purple symbol appeared in the middle under Zoey's feet. I turned and saw a yellow, red, blue, and green symbols at the edge of the circle.

My body quivered. The power in the air was intimidating. I don't care that I helped summon a chunk of this power, it scared me.

"I kinda feel like we need to do something with this power." Zoey said.

"Maybe we should establish some kind of protective barrier." I suggested. "Or something that will let us know if someone decides to pop in and give us an unwanted visit."

"Kay." She looked at me.

"Nuh uh. This is your circle. You summoned five-sevenths of this circle." I said.

"But I've never channeled your elements." She said.

"You're a High Priestess."

"You're the Mediator."

I didn't have a comeback. I shot her a look before raising my arms. The elements vibrated around me and I felt like they were waiting for me to tell them what to do so they could have at it.

I took a deep breath and pulled the elements into my body. I was filled with warmth and I was sure I was going to blow up.

"Contexi domum." I whispered. The elements rushed from my body and impaled the depot with shimmering symbols.

When the last bit of elemental magic left me, I fell onto my butt.

"Wow! That was a rush!" I felt giddy. I easily hopped back up. The circle was gone and I couldn't feel the elements presence anymore.

Skye squawked at me. She stalked over and squalled.

"Come on, let's get food." I picked her up.

"Hey, Zoey, Ray," Shaunee said in a quiet voice from the entrance to the depot. "I need to tell you guys something. Can you guys meet me in the kitchen in a bit?"

"Yeah. Skye needs her bottle so I'll be there for a while." My scalp was suddenly tingling. I better not be sprouting horns.

I studied the shadows.

"What?" Stark asked.

"Nothing. I'm probably just over reacting to the whole magical circle Latin shit." I said.

Skye squealed and snapped at my nose.

"All right, all right." I said. "Let's go get food." I started walking towards the depot and she snuggled against me and cooed. I rolled my eyes as Shadow walked alongside me into the depot.

When I passed through the door, it felt like I passed through a cobweb. I hoped this shield can stand up against Damascus. Maybe the guys could hide out here and maybe I could sleep in peace without getting mouthed by a pedophile.

I sighed. It probably wouldn't work out that way. It never does.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

So, I have Hidden and it was awesome! I'm only half-way-ish through Destined so no worries about spoilers anytime soon. Sigh, this fanfic is a lot longer than I anticipated. I might actually finish one. Finger crossed!

Anyway, if you read please review.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

"Twin, really. No blood coughing? You're absolutely _not _dying!"

"Twin. Seriously. I'm fine."

"No. If you're not dying then what the hell is wrong with you? You gave Kalona _your iPhone_!"

I rolled my eyes. Erin was freaking out for no reason. It was just a cellphone, it wasn't like Shaunee gave him the house keys.

Skye warbled and tugged my hair. I tickled her stomach and she bit my wrist before licking the bite. I swear, she's so spoiled she can't live without having every iota of my attention. I'm not doing anything either! Why is she so spoiled?!

Everyone was staring at Shaunee with mixed feelings playing across their faces. Zoey had a confused look like she didn't know how to feel about this news. Stevie Rae and Damien looked scared while Darius, Kramisha, and Aphrodite looked borderline pissed and bored.

"Well, Twin." Shaunee said in a calm voice. "Like I just explained to everyone, I was upstairs and Rephaim's dad was there, too 'cause he was trying to wait around and see his kids. He told me to tell Rephaim the stuff I said. I gave him my phone so that I could actually call him and then trade it for the laptop I'm getting for him 'cause he can't go to the Apple store with those wings. Then he flew away, as per usual. That's it. I'm totally okay. The end."

"I'm really grateful I can turn them invisible." I blinked. "Huh."

"What?" Damien asked.

"I bet I could make myself completely invisible if I wanted to." I got a stupid grin on my face. "That's kinda of cool!" This was now on top of my list of things to do. Sorry world saving task, you got bumped down.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Goddess, you are such a dork."

"And do I care, uh, no."

"He said that he wished me well?" Rephaim asked quietly.

"Yeah." Shaunee smiled.

I sighed. Shaunee had said Kalona had wished me well too. Meh, I wasn't sure how to feel about that, but then again he wasn't my dad dad and hadn't raised me for the last…however long Rephiam and Kalona have been on this Earth I guess. No one knows details, which still begs the question: is Rephaim a pedophile for being with Stevie Rae?

"Kalona also had information about Aurox, or at least he had an idea of where we should begin in finding out his origin." Darius said. "Zoey, I think-"

"My mom could have been the sacrifice. I know."

"Neferet's really starting to piss me off." I said. "Can I please just go ballistic and rip off her head?"

"I don't think that will solve anything." Darius said. "It will bring problems for you."

I blew out a long stream of air. Black spots popped along my vision and I sipped my apple juice. Now that I think about it, I probably shouldn't have allowed Zoey to convince me to cast that circle. I forgot about that whole breath scent sucking thing Damascus did last night and now I was feeling dizzy and weak again. Ugh! I just wanna go to bed! And stop being molested by Immortal pedophiles!

I think pedophile may be my insult of the day.

Sigh, I really am too reckless for my own good. It'll probably kill me one day too.

"I'm really sorry, Z." Shaunee said. "I was too busy thinking about my dad stuff and everything. I'm really sorry."

Zoey gave her a forgiving smile. "That's okay, Shaunee. It's not your fault that what's going on with Rephaim and Kalona has you upset."

"Yeah, Shaunee. We're all trying to do the best that we can. Sometimes that's not so easy." Stevie Rae wound her hand into Rephaim's. "Thanks for standing up for Rephaim and caring. I 'preciate it."

"As do I." Rephaim said.

"Me too." I said smiling at her.

"Oh. Hey. No big thing. Yeah, I just-" Shaunee began, but Eric's sarcastic voice cut in.

"Yeah, I just gotta go put away the loot I go from Miss Jackson's and hang the new bead curtain I got from Pier 1. Later, everyone." Erin scooped up her bags and hurried out of the kitchen.

Okay, that was a bit of a bitch move.

Zoey got up and told Shaunee something I couldn't catch since Damian and Darius were discussing cleansing and funeral rituals, I think, and how they would change to become a murder reveal spell.

"Maybe we can use Raven's powers to help."

"Do you think it'll help?" I asked. "The problem is that no one would believe us even if were able to perform that spell. We're still kids and Neferet is a big bad High Priestess. Maybe we could ask Thanatos to babysit us during the spell surely she's enough of a grown-up to be taken serious when she's says Neferet is wacko."

"Why can't you tell them?" Damien suggested.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm still Kalona's kid. People are going to think that first before the whole voice of Fae/champion of nature bullshit." I rested my head on my crossed arms. Shadow shifted and rested his big head on my feet. "I wonder how the Professors will react to my shadows."

"They finally sucked you in with the rest of us." Aphrodite gave me a nasty smile.

I pulled out the schedule from my back pocket and flattened it on the table. "I'm not sure what arts class to take. I anticipate bad things." I glanced at Skye and Shadow. Wait, Skye, Snap, and Shadow. They're all S's! Boy, I'm so creative.

"Drama might be a good class." Damien said. "Skye and Shadow won't freak out about the music or get distracted by your art creating."

"I was thinking bad things with me." I said. "I'm not that good at acting."

"Not to mention she'll end up with Eric the asshat." Aphrodite said.

"I was thinking of asking Thanatos if I could use that time to harness powers and shit." I said.

"Normally, students don't get class time to practice their powers." Darius said.

"Yeah but since when have I ever fit in the terms of normalacy." I said. "Look, I've got demons and Immortals coming after me because I'm hot shit. I need to control my powers. Even casting that circle and defensive spell wiped me out. I'm damn near fucking useless if doing relatively simple shit like that completes knocks me on my ass even though technically that's because Damascus sucked out some of my breath-"

Um, to say that Rephaim, and Darius a bit only he wasn't _as _bad as my brother and I wasn't focusing on him, was pissed was a massive understatement.

"What?" Stevie Rae squeaked.

"And you didn't tell us?" Aphrodite said.

Rephaim was turning purple and looked so mad he didn't know what to say or was trying to stop himself from throttling me to death.

"I kinda…sort of forgot." I said slowly watching Rephaim's face fade from purple to red.

"How could you forget him _taking your breath?!_" Rephaim asked. "Do you even know what that means?"

"Well, he said that he now track me no matter how much my body changes." I mumbled.

Aphrodite's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "How?"

"Cuz it has a bit of my spirit?"

"That makes no sense." Aphrodite said.

"Well," Damien started in his professor voice. "there is some folklore mentioning-"

"Yeah, we get it." Aphrodite cut in. "There's some bullshit about spirit being sucked from people's mouths." She got a funny look on her face like she suddenly realized what sucking out breath could entail. "Did Damascus kiss you?"

"Uh, I think sucking out breath entails mouthing not kissing."

"What's the difference?" Aphrodite asked.

Rephaim was starting to turn purple again.

"Cuz then it sounds like I was molested by an Immortal pedophile." Yep, pedophile is my insult of the day.

"Who's an Immortal pedophile?" Zoey asked.

"Raven," Aphrodite said. "Didn't mention that Damascus broke into her room last night and took her breath that evidently has her spirit or some shit and he can track her, no matter how much plastic surgery she gets."

Zoey's tired face changed into once of concern.

Exactly why I didn't want anyone to know. Damascus was dealt with and this breath thing wouldn't bit me the ass…soon, at least. Everyone was majorly stressed out and didn't need to worry about my idiot self especially when this matter could have waited for a few weeks or when we finally dealt with the High Priestess of Bitchess.

"It's not a major concern right now." I said a bit more sternly than I met to. I probably came off bitchy.

Aphrodite scoffed. "Goddess, you're an idiot."

"Yay and?" I asked. I stood up. "I'm tired and I'm going to my room and internet. Night." And I left before they could give me more shit again. Shadow shot past me and stuck his nose down branching tunnels before padding back to me and then running forward again. What a dog.

I made my way upstairs and firmly shut the door behind us. Snap slipped through the cat door and hopped onto my bed.

"Don't you start." I said. I put Skye down.

_"Did I say anything?"_ She asked.

"Don't you always?" I mumbled. I grabbed my laptop and curled up on my bed. After walking here, I was suddenly wide awake. Might as well see what the interwebs is up to. While things loaded I changed into a nightshirt.

_"Prattling on about how reckless you are has no effect on your behavior, so I no longer wish to waste my breath reminding you about what you already are aware of."_

"Smart cat." I muttered. Facebook popped up and I saw that my friend Mimi was online.

I guess after my supposed Change into a vampyre got around the school a bazillion people (okay, I only had like a hundred friends) unfriended me without reason, well I assumed a reason, Mimi wasn't one of those people and actually had sent me a text a few days earlier telling me to text as soon as I was able.

And right now, I needed to talk to her.

**You there?**

I glanced at status updates when a ba-bing! Noise brought my attention back to the chat box.

**Hey! How are you doing?**

**Okay. How about you?**

**Fine. Not to bum you out or anything, since you've become majorly bummed lately, but those hoes Tittany and Kay-unt are spreading all kinds of annoying rumors.**

I rolled my eyes. It didn't bum me out too much, after all I had major problems of my own. But it was annoying that Brittany and Kayla were being such horrible people it kind of is pointless since no one will remember them after high school or anything like that.

**Of course, they have no life of their own so they ruin other people's lives for their own amusement.**

**God dammit I miss you! Do you know how boring it's been without you here to help me make snide comments about the hoes and man sluts and discuss the decay of human culture and intelligence?**

I smiled remembering some of our conversations. I missed her too.

**Sorry I haven't communicated with you recently. I've been really busy.**

**Sexing up hot vampyre guys, right?**

**Of course. What else would I do with my free time?**

**Practice your awesome vampyre powers?**

**I'm a loser vampyre. I don't has vampyre powers.**

**Suckth. I was hoping you could pillage the school and burn certain people's hair off.**

**Did they do something else? You're acting more snide-ing than usual.**

**No, just PMS-ing.**

**Can I ask some advice?**

**Uh-oh, what did you do?**

I took a deep breath.

**So, I am involved with this guy.**

**I knew it!**

I rolled my eyes.

**But**

**Oh boy. What?**

**He's done some stuff that isn't so great.**

**Why am I not surprised you fell for the dark, brooding type?**

**And I haven't told my new vampyre friends.**

Mimi is typing was up for a like two minutes before her message finally popped up.

**You do realize that this is going to blow up in your face. You really should inform them about your sluttacious ways.**

**Is sluttacious a word or spelled right?**

**How the hell should I know? Facebook doesn't have autocorrect or dictionary, which they should probably install because ninety-nine percent of the users can't spell.**

I sighed. I kind of expected her to say just tell them, but to tell her some of the details as to why I couldn't tell them would mean I would have to tell her I'm not a human or vampyre and that shit was going to go down soon.

I looked at Snap.

"_It is up to you whether or not you tell her."_

"If I tell her, will she be in danger?"

"_I can't see the future. Your friend Mimi is a smart girl and I doubt she'll run her mouth."_

Yeah, Mimi knew when to keep her mouth shut, most of the time. It would be nice to have a friend who knew me a lot longer than these guys did giving me advice and Mimi didn't judge, too badly.

I heard a click and my head snapped over to my window.

Shadow got up, growling with the hairs on the back standing straight, with eyes staring at the window.

**I got to go.**

I exited out and then slipped over out of sight. I looked around, but my room had no weapons in it. I need to get some.

A leg stuck itself into my room followed by a winged torso.

"Dominic!"

He turned sharply and then grinned at me.

I pushed him. "What are you doing sneaking into my room? A _girl's _room."

"I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay." He said softly.

"Couldn't you have, you know, called?" I looked around and dug my phone out of my purse. "You had a phone before."

"Calls and texts can be fakes or manipulated." He said. He wrapped his big, warm hands around my shoulders. "You are okay?"

"Yeah. I was just about to go to bed." I mumbled. I hate him. He's way too nice and it's not helping the hopelessly falling in love with him that will only lead to suffering in the end thing.

"I'm glad." He said with a soft smile.

I wanted to kiss him really, really badly. But I mean, this wasn't smart. He shouldn't be in here with me in nightshirt that barely covered my thighs and the fact that room was kind of separate from the other guys rooms and this could only lead to bad things.

Ah fuck consequences!

I got rid of the empty space in between us and kissed him. I felt his shock before he wrapped his arms and wings around me and deepened the kiss.

I curled my fingers around his silky hair and wrapped my own wings around him.

"Raven." He breathed before lifting me up. I wrapped my bare legs around his naked torso, and yes, I was fully aware of our bare and naked-ness and made me almost crazy.

His hands slid under my shirt and I felt like I was going to explode or go mad, one of the two.

I didn't realize we were moving until we were collapsed on the bed.

I had one little spike of fear before it was drowned out under other feelings, really horny feelings.

His hand cupped my breast and he suddenly pulled away.

"No."

I felt like a toddler who got her balloon popped. It just like…poof, gone.

"What?" I gasped.

"We can't do this." He said rubbing his hand over his face.

"Can't we just…damn the consequences?" I asked. "We could never get another chance."

I hated hated hated _hated _myself for saying that. It was worse than telling him I loved him. I was willing to deal with whatever shit came from us giving the finger towards fate or destiny or just consquence's personification just for this one chance to be with him. This could truly be our only chance and I wanted to be with him because I am a glutton for punishment.

"We'll get another chance Raven." He said holding my hands. "I promise. We will be together in this life or the next."

"That was kinda corny." I mumbled, but I touched anyway. I sighed. Well, I feel like shit now.

He kissed me and I felt him slip something on my ring finger. Gee, I wonder what it could be.

I glanced and saw the gold ring with a purple gem in the middle that was shaped a bit like a flower. The design didn't look human and the energy coming off of it was not human either.

"It has a charm to help keep you safe."

"Functioning jewelry. Nice." I said.

"It makes me feel better." He was blushing and it was adorable.

"I can take care of myself."

"I know." He said. "This will be there when you can't." He leaned over and kissed my forehead. "I'll see you when I can."

"I hope someday we can stop stealing moments like this."

"Me too." I watched him slip out my window and then I flopped against my bed.

"_You are Twitterpainted." _Snap said.

"Nice Bambi reference." I muttered.

"_I knew that the bond between Eternal Mates was strong, but I didn't realize how strong. He would forsake everything to be with you." _The look in her eye told me that she wasn't sure this strong bond was such a good idea. After all, what could happen if the situation reverses?

I fingered the promise ring. Should I hide it? I doubt the others would notice and it was nice to have a piece of him to carry with me.

Why does falling in love make you stupid? Logically, I knew this was stupid. Keeping my relationship with him a secret from the others wasn't so smart either. But how could I tell them I was seeing Damascus' heir on the sly?

"Go to bed, Raven." I muttered as I slid under the covers. Skye and Snap curled around my head while Shadow hopped onto my bed and laid his head across my back.

I sighed. "I need a bigger bed." I held my moonstone in my hand, praying to Artemis that I would stay in my head tonight, and quickly slunk into sleep.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXO**

Hello? Anyone there?

I am so sorry that this update took so long to finally get posted. It was getting near the end of the semester and some of my professors didn't think that having a final was enough to end the class. And I got the stomach flu or food poisoning something that made me physically ill twice before the semester ended. And Christmas break was busy since I had planned to give you guys this chapter and maybe the next one if I got it finished on Christmas for a little Holiday cheer. But, that didn't work out well either.

This semester might not be so good for updates either since several of classes are writing classes and reading so I am be too burnt out to give you guys a chapter, but I will try my best.

Anyway, if you're still reading more power to you. Please review and happy belated holiday cheer.


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